small beer

noun
UK: /ˌsmɔːl ˈbɪər/
US: /ˌsmɔːl ˈbɪr/

  1. Something unimportant or insignificant; a trivial matter.

    1. That problem is just small beer to me.
    2. Compared to world peace, our office dispute is really small beer.

  2. Weak or inferior beer.

    1. He ordered a small beer at the pub.
    2. In those days, small beer was safer to drink than water for everyone.

  3. A person or thing of little importance or influence.

    1. Politically, he is small beer now.
    2. In the grand scheme, our worries about fashion are but small beer.

Synonyms

nothing trifle pittance drivel

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "small beer" in English means: Something unimportant or insignificant; a trivial matter., Weak or inferior beer., A person or thing of little importance or influence..

The phonetic transcription of "small beer" is /ˌsmɔːl ˈbɪər/ in British English and /ˌsmɔːl ˈbɪr/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "small beer": nothing, trifle, pittance, drivel.

Example usage of "small beer": "That problem is just small beer to me.". More examples on the page.