MEASLY Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

measly

adjective

ˈmēz-lē

Definition of measly

as in nominal

so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention offered her guest only one measly cookie

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of measly While sunny Florida gets a measly 11% of its energy from solar and wind, which are now our cheapest sources of electricity, Texas is getting more than 30% of its energy from those sources. — David Jenkins, Sun Sentinel, 26 May 2026 One bag serves three hearty portions, or four measly ones. — Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 Apr. 2026 It can’t be helped that the foundation barely organized a study and sent one measly addiction specialist to the region. — Chicago Tribune, 23 Apr. 2026 Over the first five minutes, Texas went 2-for-5 from the field with two turnovers while mustering a measly four points. — Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 3 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for measly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for measly

Adjective

Patients in Medicaid, the state- and federally-funded program for people with low incomes, already pay a nominal co-payment of a few dollars to fill their prescriptions, but lower prices could help state budgets that fund the programs.

— Fatima Hussein, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
But recent wars have exposed the gap between nominal power and usable military capability.

— NADIA SCHADLOW, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of nominal

Adjective

In the for-pay security suite, the VPN gets a slight bandwidth boost, doubling the free limit to 1 gigabyte per month.

— Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026
The tadpoles — some descended from frogs in the San Jacinto Mountains and others from the San Bernardino Mountains — were separated into two groups because of their slight genetic differences.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of slight

Adjective

The daily drawing of rangoli threshold designs with rice flour is thought to feed the many souls of birds, ants, and other tiny creatures.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Sep. 2026
From the factory, this Asus Vivobook 14 comes with a pretty tiny 256GB internal drive, but adding a 512GB external SSD gives you twice the additional storage space.

— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of tiny

Adjective

The country is mired in a war with Iran with no graceful exit opportunities; a new round of tariffs threatens to further disrupt fragile global trade relations; and the domestic economy faces inflation combined with paltry growth.

— Zachary Karabell, Washington Post, 21 Aug. 2026
Being paid a paltry second-line rate for the next six years is a bargain.

— Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Definition of paltry

Browse Nearby Words

meant

measly

measurable

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“Measly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/measly. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of measly

adjective

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