measlier; measliest
1
: infected with measles
2
a
: containing larval tapeworms
b
: infested with trichinae
3
: contemptibly small
Examples of measly in a Sentence
She complained about being given such a measly raise.
All I want is a few measly minutes of your time.
Recent Examples on the Web
The new deck team does an excellent job docking the boat, and at the tip meeting, each crew member banks $1,153 from a measly $15,000 total tip, which the captain assures is not reflective of their good work through the weekend.
—
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2025
On Rotten Tomatoes, the shows sits at a measly 33% critics score and an even worse 20% audience score.
—Charles Trepany, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2025
The bank’s chief global equity strategist Peter Oppenheimer waves away bubble concerns with a stack of spreadsheets showing the tech sector’s earnings per share have skyrocketed 400% since before the financial crisis, while all other sectors limped along with a measly 25% growth.
—Jackie Snow, Quartz, 10 Mar. 2025
This is why John can bust out 900 pull-ups in an hour, 5 at a time, but the record for most pull-ups without dropping off the bar is a measly 238, by Jan Kares in 2017.
—Outside Online, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for measly
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Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2025
On Rotten Tomatoes, the shows sits at a measly 33% critics score and an even worse 20% audience score.
—Charles Trepany, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2025
The bank’s chief global equity strategist Peter Oppenheimer waves away bubble concerns with a stack of spreadsheets showing the tech sector’s earnings per share have skyrocketed 400% since before the financial crisis, while all other sectors limped along with a measly 25% growth.
—Jackie Snow, Quartz, 10 Mar. 2025
This is why John can bust out 900 pull-ups in an hour, 5 at a time, but the record for most pull-ups without dropping off the bar is a measly 238, by Jan Kares in 2017.
—Outside Online, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for measly
Cite this Entry
“Measly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/measly. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
measly
adjective
mea·sly
ˈmēz-(ə-)lē 
measlier; measliest
: so small or unimportant as to deserve scorn
left a measly nickel tip
Medical Definition
measly
adjective
mea·sly
ˈmēz-(ə-)lē
measlier; measliest
1
: infected with measles
2
a
: containing larval tapeworms
b
: infected with trichinae
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