worth only a nickel
- idiom
- Archaic
- The souvenirs looked cheap and were worth only a nickel to most tourists.
Examples
-
This old watch is worth only a nickel.
-
She realized that the trinket was worth only a nickel at the flea market.
-
After years of neglect, the bike was worth only a nickel.
-
He joked that his advice was worth only a nickel if you asked his boss.
-
He said the book is worth only a nickel!
-
The toys at the store were worth only a nickel, so I didn't buy any.
-
After years of use, that old laptop is worth only a nickel compared to newer models.
Synonyms
14
3.2
Very common and not special or valuable
4
8.1
A very small, unimportant amount
2
7.0
Having little or no value
1
8.6
Very common and not worth much
1
9.6
Has no value and is useless to anyone
1
6.2
Of no value or use
1
8.1
Very common and not worth much
1
9.9
Of little or no value
Completely without value or use
Very common and not worth much
Antonyms
How Valuable
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally built from 'worth' (value) + 'only' (restrictive/limiting) + 'a nickel' (a small monetary amount), so its meaning 'of very little value' follows directly from the constituents. This literal monetary-evaluation pattern is cross-linguistically common and therefore accessible to a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.
Etymology
Worth only a nickel comes from the simple picture of something so cheap it is worth just a five-cent coin, a nickel. That's why saying something is worth only a nickel means it has 'very little value'.