dime-store

1 of 2

adjective

ˈdīm-ˌstȯr How to pronounce dime-store (audio)
Synonyms of dime-storenext
1
: inexpensive
dime-store perfume
2
: tawdry, second-rate
dime-store philosophy

dime store

2 of 2

noun

: five-and-dime

Synonyms of dime-store

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Adjective

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Examples of dime-store in a Sentence

Adjective a dime-store tablecloth that is certainly good enough for a picnic
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Why, then, does the show have all the resonance of a dime-store, plywood knockoff? — Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Mar. 2025 Daddio traffics in a lot of dime-store psychology, but that just adds to its old-fashioned qualities. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 June 2024
Noun
Yes, the saga of Isa Bahu and his family’s gas station reads like a bad dime store novel. — Teri Sforza, Orange County Register, 10 May 2024 Soon afterward, cheap paperback classics could be found everywhere from newsstands to dime stores. — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dime-store

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1938, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dime-store was circa 1928

Rhymes for dime-store

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Browse Nearby Words

dimerous
dime-store
dime store
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Cite this Entry

“Dime-store.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dime-store. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

dime store

noun
: a store that sells mainly inexpensive goods
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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