one-hit wonder
A recording artist known for only one hit song, especially after failing at subsequent attempts at success.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“That band was just a one-hit wonder.”
“She became a one-hit wonder in the nineties and never released another successful single.”
“Critics dismissed him as a one-hit wonder after his second album flopped, though he spent years trying to prove them wrong.”
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gutless wonder
One who lacks guts or courage; a coward.
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nine-day wonder
Something that generates interest for a limited time and is then abandoned.
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no-hit wonder
A recording artist who proves to be commercially successful, or maintains a long career, without having any hit songs at all.
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small wonder
An event or fact whose cause or rationale is not difficult to discern; an unsurprising occurrence.
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two-hit wonder
A recording artist known for only two hit songs.
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work wonders
To be highly successful as a solution.
Last updated August 10, 2026