chump change
An amount of remuneration, reward, or other monetary recompense considered to be insultingly small.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“For him, a hundred dollars is just chump change.”
“She complained that the bonus was chump change compared to the overtime she had worked.”
“The settlement they offered was chump change, a mere fraction of what the case was truly worth.”
The term originates from the suggestion that only a chump—a person easily deceived—would accept so negligible a sum. It represents a semantic shift, beginning as a marker of specific indignation before extending into its current, more neutral application.
- 01
and change
And some quantity, but less than the increment to the next round number.
- 02
change collars
To change or shift one's career path.
- 03
change hands
To become the property of someone else; to be bought or sold.
- 04
change horses in midstream
To change one's plan or approach when an effort is already underway or at another inopportune time.
- 05
change of clothes
A set of clothes in addition to those already worn.
- 06
change of heart
A change of one's opinion, belief or decision.
- 07
change of life
Menopause.
- 08
change of pace
A shift from one activity to another
Last updated August 10, 2026