Meanings
plural pip-squeaks · alternative pipsqueak
- derogatoryinformalA small and insignificant person.
From day one, I was the school pipsqueak.
2015, David Spade, Almost Interesting: The Memoir, HarperCollins, →ISBN
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Onomatopoeic from pip + squeak. Cited as early as 1900, the term originally referred to a small artillery shell. In later uses, it became largely onomatopoeic, influenced in part by popular culture, including the comic strip Pip, Squeak and Wilfred.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian нищожество
- нищожество (ništožestvo)small and insignificant person
Chinese Mandarin 小人物
- 小人物 (xiǎorénwù)small and insignificant person
Dutch opdonder
- opdondersmall and insignificant person
Finnish hiirulainen
- hiirulainensmall and insignificant person
French foutriquet
- foutriquetsmall and insignificant person
German Winzling, Würstchen
- Winzlingsmall and insignificant person
- Würstchensmall and insignificant person
- Pinschersmall and insignificant person
- Niemandsmall and insignificant person
Icelandic peð
- peðsmall and insignificant person
Italian microbo
- microbosmall and insignificant person
Japanese ちび
- ちび (chibi)small and insignificant person
Polish cienias, leszcz
- cieniassmall and insignificant person
- leszczsmall and insignificant person
Russian ничто́жество
- ничто́жество (ničtóžestvo)small and insignificant person
Cite this entry
pip-squeak. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pip-squeak
“pip-squeak.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pip-squeak. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pip-squeak,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pip-squeak.
Source: pip-squeak on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.