Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

fixer-upper

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.03 in modern English

Syllables: fix-er-up-per
IPA

24

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

4

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A house, property, car, or other object that needs to be fixed up or repaired, often purchased as an investment.

American usage; Informal

noun

A potential romantic partner who may need some motivation to improve their personality or habits.

Informal

noun

A person who tinkers or fixes things up; in particular, someone who fixes up houses, properties, etc. as an investment.

Informal

Example Sentences

"2003, Jay P. DeCima, Investing in Fixer-Uppers: A Complete Guide to Buying Low, Fixing Smart, Adding Value, and Selling (or Renting) High, McGraw-Hill Professional, →ISBN."
"Don't be seduced into a relationship with someone who seems to be a "fixer-upper." Attempts at renovating people usually fail."

Etymology

From a reduplicating suffixation of fix up, equivalent to fix + -er + up + -er.

Usage

American usage
Informal

Inflected Forms

fixer-uppers (plural)

Phrases

handyman's special

Frequently Paired Words

handyman's special

Synonyms

doer-upperer fix-it-upper

Questions

What does fixer-upper mean?: A house, property, car, or other object that needs to be fixed up or repaired, often purchased as an investment.
Where does fixer-upper come from?: From a reduplicating suffixation of fix up, equivalent to fix + -er + up + -er.

How to pronounce fixer-upper

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