small fry

This term carries a dismissive or patronizing tone when applied to people or organizations. It suggests a lack of power, influence, or status, often implying that the subject is too insignificant to be worth the attention of those at the top of a hierarchy. It is more informal than terms like insignificant or minor.

In its literal biological sense, the term refers specifically to larval or juvenile fish. Grammatically, the word fry in this context is an invariant noun; it does not take an s to form a plural. Whether referring to one young fish or a thousand, the form remains small fry.