potboiler
- noun
- /ˈpɑtˌbɔɪlər/
- Offensive
- A silkily written potboiler, wonderfully well-realized, entirely engrossing.
Examples
-
The writer churned out a series of potboilers, captivating readers with predictable plots.
-
After graduation, he began to affect string ties and cowboy boots and made an instant success writing potboilers with a Civil War background.
Fiction book (1992) -
The acting and the scenery were, as always, well done, but the story was garbage, a potboiler.
Fiction book (1990) -
The first picture I ever wrote, a little potboiler called "Sand Pirates of the Sahara."
Fiction book (2001) -
All the elements of a John Grisham potboiler are present in the case of United States v. Milberg Weiss Bershad & Schulman.
Academic text (2006) -
"Much less well known is "Past Midnight," a potboiler of a thriller starring Rutger Hauer, Natasha Richardson, Clancy Brown, and a young Paul Giamatti.
Blog text (7) -
Many critics dismissed the novel as another potboiler that was written solely for profit.
-
Despite its popularity, the film was criticized as nothing more than a potboiler lacking depth.
Antonyms
How Good
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Potboiler comes from the idea of 'keeping the pot boiling', meaning to earn money so a family can buy food. So a potboiler is a quick, low-quality book, play, or film made mainly to make money.