Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

ten a penny

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.03 in modern English

Syllables: ten a pen-ny
IPA

14

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

So common as to be practically or almost worthless.

British usage

adj

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see ten, a, penny: sold at ten (10) units per penny (1d or 1¢).

Example Sentences

"Near-synonyms: not worth a dime; see also Thesaurus:worthless"
"People with your skills are ten a penny these days."

Etymology

With literal origins; now usually in the figuratively extended sense.

Usage

British usage

Phrases

buyer's market

Frequently Paired Words

tenpenny buyer's market

Synonyms

a dime a dozen two a penny average basic bog-standard common common as bums common as dirt common as muck common as pig tracks dime a dozen everyday

Questions

What does ten a penny mean?: So common as to be practically or almost worthless.
Where does ten a penny come from?: With literal origins; now usually in the figuratively extended sense.

How to pronounce ten a penny

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