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Glite Dictionary
chickenfeed

chickenfeed

1 7.7
A very small amount of money that is not worth much
  • noun
  • /ˈtʃɪkɪnˌfiːd/
  • Informal
: miseria
  • The amount he saved last year is chickenfeed when you consider how much he earns.

Examples

  • Oh that's only chickenfeed compared to this racket.

    Fashions of 1934 (1934)

  • - 50 grand is chickenfeed to Aunt Vi.

    Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)

  • For a billionaire, donating a million dollars is just chickenfeed.

  • To her, the small bonus was just chickenfeed compared to her regular salary.

Synonyms

peanuts
vschickenfeed
  • Informal
30 3.7

A very small amount of money that is not worth much

is the core term for any very small and insignificant amount
pittance
vschickenfeed
14 7.9

A very small amount of money paid to someone for their work

is a trivial sum generally not focused on being an inadequate wage
chump change
vschickenfeed
  • Informal
14 8.2

A very small amount of money that hardly matters next to bigger costs

is about a trivial sum by itself rather than a relative comparison
small change
vschickenfeed
9 2.3

A small amount of money in coins that is not worth much

is the general idea of a trivial monetary amount rather than literal coins
penny ante
vschickenfeed
  • Informal
7 7.9

A game people play for very small bets or something people think is not important

is the general term for a trivial money amount outside games
chicken feed
vschickenfeed
  • Informal
4 6.8

A very small amount of money that is not important

is written as one word rather than two separate words
measly amount
vschickenfeed
  • Informal
1 5.1

A very small amount that is not enough

is the neutral idea of a trivial sum rather than a failing payment
thruppence
vschickenfeed
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A very small amount of money or something of little value

is the neutral, straightforward name for a trivial sum
baiocco
vschickenfeed
  • Archaic
9.9

A very small amount of money that has little value

is the straightforward literal idea of a trivial sum

Antonyms

wealth
575 1.3

A large amount of money and valuable things that a person or country owns

fortune
510 2.8

A very large amount of money

How Much

tidy sum
  • Informal
3 3.7
chickenfeed
  • Informal
1 7.7
pittance
14 7.9

Surface Forms

chickenfeed singular
chickenfeeds plural

Morphology

chickenfeed = chicken + feed (semi-transparent) = chicken + feed

The compound 'chicken feed' literally refers to food for chickens, but its idiomatic use for a trivial sum is a metaphorical extension that is not fully predictable.

Etymology

Chickenfeed comes from the plain words chicken and feed, meaning food for chickens that is cheap and given in small amounts. So calling money 'chickenfeed' is a way to say it is a 'very small' or 'insignificant' amount.