dime store: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Informal, historical, primarily North American.
Quick answer
What does “dime store” mean?
A small retail store selling a wide variety of inexpensive goods, originally where items cost five or ten cents.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A small retail store selling a wide variety of inexpensive goods, originally where items cost five or ten cents.
Used to describe something cheaply made, of low quality, or simple due to its low cost; also appears as a modifier ('dime-store') to indicate a basic or inferior version of something (e.g., 'a dime-store philosopher').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In the UK, the equivalent literal term was historically 'sixpenny store' or 'sixpenny bazaar'. 'Dime store' is an Americanism in the UK, but the concept is widely understood. The British equivalent term for a similar type of low-price retailer is 'Woolworths' (a specific brand name that became generic), but this is also now historical.
Connotations
In the US, it carries nostalgic, working-class, or retro connotations. In the UK, its use marks a text as influenced by American culture or referring specifically to an American context.
Frequency
Common in American English, especially in historical contexts and figurative language. Very rare in contemporary British English for literal use; occasionally appears in figurative/metaphorical use in media influenced by American English.
Grammar
How to Use “dime store” in a Sentence
[dime-store] + NOUN (as a modifier: dime-store logic)NOUN + [from/at the] dime store (as a location: toys from the dime store)BE/V + [like a] dime store (simile: it felt like a dime store)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “dime store” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- N/A as a verb.
American English
- N/A as a verb.
adverb
British English
- N/A as an adverb.
American English
- N/A as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- His analysis was dismissed as dime-store Freudianism.
- She wore a sort of dime-store tiara for the party.
American English
- That's just dime-store philosophy from a talk-show host.
- He had the look of a dime-store gangster.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in historical analysis of retail or in branding to evoke nostalgia (e.g., 'the dime-store model of retail').
Academic
Appears in historical, sociological, or cultural studies texts about 20th-century consumerism.
Everyday
Used by older generations to describe childhood shopping or figuratively to criticize something as cheap/tacky (e.g., 'This plastic feels like dime-store junk.').
Technical
Not used in technical contexts.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “dime store”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “dime store”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “dime store”
- Using 'dime shop' (less common). Misspelling as 'dime sotre'. Using it to refer to a modern dollar store without the historical/nostalgic connotation might sound odd.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Conceptually similar, but 'dime store' is a historical term with strong mid-20th century connotations. 'Dollar store' is the contemporary equivalent. Using 'dime store' today usually evokes nostalgia or is used figuratively.
Yes, very commonly. When used as a hyphenated modifier (e.g., dime-store cowboy, dime-store psychology), it means 'cheap,' 'tacky,' 'amateurish,' or 'oversimplified.'
Not for literal shopping. British English speakers understand it, especially in its figurative sense or in contexts discussing American culture. The genericized UK equivalent was 'Woolworths.'
It comes from the original price points in such stores, where many items cost either five cents ('nickel') or ten cents ('dime'). 'Dime store' is a shortened form focusing on the ten-cent price.
A small retail store selling a wide variety of inexpensive goods, originally where items cost five or ten cents.
Dime store is usually informal, historical, primarily north american. in register.
Dime store: in British English it is pronounced /ˈdʌɪm stɔː/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈdaɪm stɔːr/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “dime-store cowboy (someone who affects a cowboy style with cheap clothing)”
- “dime-store psychology (oversimplified, amateur psychological analysis)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a store where everything costs a DIME (10 cents), highlighting its core feature of extreme cheapness.
Conceptual Metaphor
CHEAPNESS IS LOW MONETARY VALUE (A DIME) / INFERIOR QUALITY IS A PRODUCT OF A DIME STORE.
Practice
Quiz
In a figurative sense, calling something 'dime-store' primarily implies it is: