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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Recent Examples of measly
Dean immediately recognized Jenkins’ pull and came screaming downhill to pop Wilson in the backfield, halting the play for a measly 2-yard gain.
—
Derrik Klassen, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
On the other end, Chicago only has a 34% chance of snow while New Yorkers have a measly 13% chance of a white Christmas this year.
—Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
But things quickly fell apart and Wilson was released from his contract within two seasons, signing a measly deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 14 Dec. 2024
The conference rode shotgun while the SEC gobbled up 14 NCAA bids but made the most of its measly eight participants.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for measly
Derrik Klassen, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
On the other end, Chicago only has a 34% chance of snow while New Yorkers have a measly 13% chance of a white Christmas this year.
—Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
But things quickly fell apart and Wilson was released from his contract within two seasons, signing a measly deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 14 Dec. 2024
The conference rode shotgun while the SEC gobbled up 14 NCAA bids but made the most of its measly eight participants.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for measly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for measly
Adjective
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As the Signal chats showed, there are differences of opinion within Trump’s national-security team, and much more serious friction with the administration’s nominal allies in Europe.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2025
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The new duties raise the nominal U.S. tariff rate on China to 54%.—
Alain Sherter,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Not when your opponent is spending its each and every waking moment scouring film for even the slightest advantage.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2025
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Five of the Fed’s districts saw slight growth in economic activity, four districts had slight to modest declines and three reported relatively unchanged trends since the central bank’s previous release in early March.—
Melissa Repko,Michael Wayland,Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Because of the unique position of the pope, a cleric with his own tiny state and significant global influence, the book is also a chronicle of contemporary international affairs.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
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Sprinkle the tiny seeds about 1 inch apart down the trench and lightly cover with soil.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Rather than lottery riches, the check is for a paltry $700.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
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Most of their engine sizes were back in the 300 cubic inch range, and even the 454 V8 still available in the Chevelle was rated at a paltry 235 horsepower.—
Karl Brauer,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Measly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/measly. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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