one-man band en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Meanings
- A musician who plays several musical instruments at once.
- (broadly, derogatory) A musician who plays several musical instruments at once. ▸ A band in which the frontman does most of the work and is the spotlight or the center of attention, usually to the detriment of other band members.
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(broadly, idiomatic) An organisation or business that is effectively run by only one person.
It goes on to argue that the Reform UK party is a “one-man band which at best can win only a handful of MPs”, while the Liberal Democrats are dismissed as “a joke”.
2024 July 3, Alexandra Topping, Jim Waterson, Tom Ambrose, “The Sun backs Labour on eve of election as Times also offers cautious support”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:The corporation he will someday inherit—growing, churning—won't work as a one-man band.
2007 December 9, Peter Preston, “Challenges for the rising son”, in The Observer, UK:Near-synonym: one-man army
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| one man band | alternative | lexicographic | |
| one-man bands | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Synonyms
Translations (8)
fi yhden miehen orkesteri (musician who plays several musical instruments) · ru челове́к-орке́стр (musician who plays several musical instruments) · pt homem-orquestra (musician who plays several musical instruments) · yue 一腳踢 /一脚踢 (organisation or business run by one person) · es hombre orquesta (musician who plays several musical instruments) · fi yhden miehen show (organisation or business run by one person) · cmn 一人樂隊 /一人乐队 (musician who plays several musical instruments) · pl człowiek orkiestra (musician who plays several musical instruments)