# chump change

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/chump-change
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

An amount of remuneration, reward, or other monetary recompense considered to be insultingly small.

## Examples

- 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.

## Origin

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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.