English Reference
noun

pennies

n.
US /ˈpɛniz/ UK /pˈɛnɪz/ pen·nies

  1. 01 A2 Elementary

    more than one penny coin.

    the plural form of penny, referring to multiple individual coins of the smallest denomination.

    Simple

    He found a few pennies at the bottom of his bag.

    In context

    The child carefully counted the pennies he had saved in the jar, hoping there was enough for a chocolate bar.

    Pitfall
    The book cost five pennies. The book cost five pence.

    In British English, use 'pence' for the price or value and 'pennies' only for the physical coins themselves.

  2. 02 B1 Intermediate Informal

    a very small or unimportant amount of money.

    a negligible or very small sum of money, often used in idioms regarding cost or savings.

    Simple

    The old car isn't worth much; I bought it for pennies.

    In context

    After the stock market crash, shares that were once valuable were being traded for pennies on the dollar.

    pittancesmall change
This entry
Level A2 · Elementary
Frequency Frequent
Updated