small fry
1
7.4
- noun
- /smɔl fraɪ/
- Informal
:
niño
- The camp was filled with small fry excitedly running around and enjoying their summer vacation.
Examples
-
The small fry played happily in the playground with their friends.
-
But if you're a small fry like me, you have to use your own initiative.
Blog text (8) -
As a small fry, she loved exploring new games and making new friends.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A young person, usually a child
∞
1.0
A young person who is not yet an adult, often a son or daughter
213
1.0
A child or teenager who is not yet an adult
190
2.8
A person who is not yet an adult by law
62
9.0
An affectionate slang word often used for a girlfriend or close friend
39
7.7
A small child said in a friendly, loving way
33
7.7
A small person, often a child, seen as unimportant
15
8.0
A young child who is lively and often naughty
3
9.0
A child or young person in British English
3
1.0
People call young children that in a caring way
1
7.5
A young child
1
8.2
A small child or young goat that people talk about in a loving, informal way
1
9.9
A very small person, often a child
1
8.7
A small child, often a boy, who is playful or naughty
1
9.9
A small child or person treated with love and care
1
8.4
A small, cute child often a baby or toddler
1
9.6
A small or young person who is not taken seriously
1
8.9
A friendly name for a young or small person
A small boy people call in a friendly, playful way
A rude name for a small or short person, often a child
A small child who behaves badly, often in a playful way
A very small weak person used as an insult
Antonyms
How Young
Surface Forms
Morphology
small + fry
The sense 'insignificant person(s)' can be linked to 'small' (little) plus 'fry' (young/small creatures), so a motivated learner who knows both words could infer a meaning of 'little/insignificant beings.' However, the shift from literal young animals to a dismissive label for people is a metaphorical extension and culturally conventionalized, so the exact pragmatic meaning is not fully predictable without exposure.
Etymology
Small fry comes from an old fishing word: fry means baby fish, so small fry are tiny young fish and people began using the image to call a 'child' or young person.