small time: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1/C2Informal, often derogatory.
Quick answer
What does “small time” mean?
Of little importance or influence.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Of little importance or influence; operating on a very minor scale.
Used to describe persons, operations, or activities that are petty, local, or lacking in significant impact, often with a connotation of being amateurish, unsuccessful, or having limited ambition. The term can be applied to criminals, businesses, or performers.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is identical in meaning and nuance. Hyphenation is optional but common ('small-time').
Connotations
Slightly more common in American English, possibly due to its historical use in describing minor-league vaudeville or sports circuits.
Frequency
Used in both varieties. There is no significant regional preference.
Grammar
How to Use “small time” in a Sentence
small-time + NOUN (criminal, dealer)be + small-time (predicative)remained/stayed small-timeVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “small time” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- He was just a small-time hustler from Manchester.
- They run a small-time operation from a lock-up garage.
American English
- He started as a small-time dealer in Chicago.
- It's a small-time business, just a few local clients.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used pejoratively to describe a competitor with negligible market share or an unambitious venture.
Academic
Rare. Might appear in sociological or criminological texts to categorize low-level offenders.
Everyday
Common in informal speech to belittle someone's lack of success or ambition.
Technical
Not typically used in technical registers.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “small time”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “small time”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “small time”
- Using it as a temporal phrase (e.g., 'I have a small time to finish'). Confusing 'small time' (adj.) with 'a short time' (noun phrase).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Rarely. It is almost always derogatory or dismissive, implying a lack of success, scale, or ambition.
The direct and most common antonym is 'big-time' (e.g., a big-time producer). Other antonyms include 'major-league' and 'successful.'
When used as an adjective before a noun, hyphenation is standard ('a small-time crook'). When used predictively, it is often written as two words ('His operation is strictly small time'). Both forms are accepted.
No. While strongly associated with petty crime, it can describe any person or activity perceived as minor or unambitious (e.g., small-time investor, small-time theatre).
Of little importance or influence.
Small time is usually informal, often derogatory. in register.
Small time: in British English it is pronounced /ˌsmɔːl ˈtaɪm/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌsmɔl ˈtaɪm/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Small-time crook.”
- “He's strictly small-time.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a criminal who can only afford a very SMALL alarm clock (TIME) for his modest heists.
Conceptual Metaphor
IMPORTANCE/SUCCESS IS SIZE (e.g., 'big-time', 'small-time').
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best describes a 'small-time' operation?