pocket change

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   Loose coins that someone carries around for small purchases.

   Grammar: Uncountable, so no plural and no a: some pocket change.

   Patterns

   • some pocket change
   • spare pocket change

   I only had a little pocket change, so I bought a single candy.

   The jar on his desk was full of pocket change.

   She found some pocket change in her coat.

2. 2noununcountableinformalfigurative

   A small amount of money, especially one that seems unimportant compared with what is being discussed.

   Grammar: Often used with be: it's pocket change.

   Patterns

   • be pocket change to someone

   For a company that big, a million dollars is pocket change.

   The fine was pocket change to the corporation.

   She earns pocket change doing odd jobs on weekends.

Common combinations

spare pocket change

Kids donated their spare pocket change to the shelter.

a little pocket change

He earned a little pocket change mowing lawns.

jingle pocket change

The boy jingled his pocket change nervously.

just pocket change

To them, ten thousand dollars is just pocket change.

pocket change for

This was pocket change for the studio.

Synonyms and how they differ

small change

Small change is the more British term for coins, with the same figurative use.

loose change

Loose change stresses coins that are not in a wallet or purse and works in both American and British English.

peanuts

Peanuts is more slangy and only means a very small sum, never coins.

spare change

Spare change means coins you can easily give away, often to people asking for money.

Opposites

Word family

pocket noun

a small bag sewn into clothing

change noun

coins or money returned after a payment

pocket money noun

money given regularly to a child (British)

Commonly confused: pocket change or pocket money?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “pocket change”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words