as in nominal
so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention
offered her guest only one measly cookie
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Tesla’s European loss leaders include Norway, where sales dropped an astonishing 93 percent in two years, from 1,108 units in January 2024 to a measly 83 in January of this year.
—
Joe Wilkins Published Feb 18, Futurism, 18 Feb. 2026
The real, or inflation-adjusted, increase was a measly 2% during his term — less than half a percent per year.
—Peter St. Onge, Boston Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
The answer ultimately lies in the inverted pyramid’s layout, a bright red steak and giant stick of butter prominently featured above a measly sliver of whole grains.
—Tania Fabo, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
Not when All-Pro cornerback Quinyon Mitchell’s two interceptions only yielded a field goal in a measly exchange rate that would infuriate any economist.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for measly
Joe Wilkins Published Feb 18, Futurism, 18 Feb. 2026
The real, or inflation-adjusted, increase was a measly 2% during his term — less than half a percent per year.
—Peter St. Onge, Boston Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
The answer ultimately lies in the inverted pyramid’s layout, a bright red steak and giant stick of butter prominently featured above a measly sliver of whole grains.
—Tania Fabo, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
Not when All-Pro cornerback Quinyon Mitchell’s two interceptions only yielded a field goal in a measly exchange rate that would infuriate any economist.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for measly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for measly
Adjective
-
The nominal plan is to launch the test lander (essentially a crew module of the Blue Moon Mk2 vehicle) on New Glenn.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
12 June 2026
-
The rocket's success on this most recent flight hopefully put the vehicle back on course for more nominal missions ahead.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
As long as the overall drink remains sufficiently boozy, cocktails that contain citrus—such as margaritas, daiquiris, and cosmopolitans—can also work well or just require a few slight tweaks.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
13 June 2026
-
The camera caught Maher staring at the stage with a slight smile, seemingly unsure how to react.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
The whole episode is a reminder to product designers everywhere that users can be extremely sensitive to the seemingly smallest changes — and Spotify clearly had not anticipated that a teeny-tiny disco ball drop would prove to be unpopular.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
12 June 2026
-
Today, Siazon’s pickles can be found at the Sacramento Natural Food Co-op, the Davis Foods Co-op, Corti Brothers, the Kitchen Table locations, Allspicery in East Sacramento and tiny but mighty Superette Market in Land Park.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
The budget is slightly smaller than the current one, sets aside $14 billion in reserves and contains a paltry menu of tax cuts worth $146 million.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
28 May 2026
-
The free-agent market is paltry at best, so Guerin will likely have to make his mark via trade.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Measly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/measly. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
