small-fry

1 of 2

adjective

ˈsmȯl-ˌfrī 

1

: minor, unimportant

a small-fry politician

2

: of, relating to, or intended for children : childish

small-fry sports

small fry

2 of 2

noun

plural small fry also small fries

1

US, informal : a child

—usually plural

Is there really any great difference, one might ask, between that gang of kids playing video games by the hour at their local candy store these days and those small fry who used to hang around together spending equal amounts of time playing marbles?

—Marie Winn

Mothers and fathers, their small fry hopping from ledge to ledge with them, are climbing mountains from the Appalachians to the Rockies.

—John Devaney

Ever since the giddy '60s … small-screen small fries have made their mark with clean-cut comedy perfect for fans of all ages.

—Damian J. Holbrook

2

informal : someone or something considered insignificant or minor

These two, with their perfunctory fast handshakes, made Henry feel like the small fry he was …

—Herman Wouk

—usually plural

Unfortunately, however, many of the cases on O'Keefe's list involved insignificant small fry who had cheated the government out of relatively small amounts of money and, in some cases, no money at all.

—David Burnham

3

: a recently hatched or juvenile fish

—usually plural

The basic strategy hasn't changed much since the first competition in 1903: Catch tiddlers, or small fry. This requires a hook the size of a mosquito's leg, a line as fine as a spider's web—and a rod as much as 36 feet long.

—Barry Newman

Synonyms

Adjective

• fiddling
• foolish
• frivolous
• incidental
• inconsequential
• inconsiderable
• insignificant
• little
• Mickey Mouse
• minor
• minute
• negligible
• nugatory
• slight
• small
• trifling
• trivial
• unimportant

Examples of small-fry in a Sentence

Adjective

some small-fry official in the state government with a big-time ego

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Ridley Scott directs Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura in the first episode of a tale in which two small-fry thieves rob a drug den and become the target of a relentless kingpin. —Shauna Lyon, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2025

Cassatt achieved hers by changing mediums; by experimenting with colors; and by being perversely drawn to small-fry subject matter, then mining it from all angles. —Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 27 June 2024

For small-fry investors and big money managers alike, the psychological toll of falling behind creates pressure, particularly for those sticking with the playbook. —Ryan Hogg, Fortune, 10 June 2024

Brad Heppner had the grand idea of bringing investment opportunities enjoyed by Wall Street institutions to small-fry investors. —Alexander Gladstone, WSJ, 28 July 2023

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1577, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Kids Definition

small-fry

adjective

ˈsmȯl-ˌfrī

1

: minor entry 1 sense 1, unimportant

2

: of or relating to children : childish