1
as in pitiful
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
a paltry, underhanded scheme to get someone fired
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
the hotel's shabby, outdated exercise room was its paltry attempt at a health spa
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3
as in vile
not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency
just some paltry ruse to bilk the system
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4
as in nominal
so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention
wanted me to sell him my old records for a paltry sum
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of paltry
That drop was paltry compared to Indiana's June 7 game against the Chicago Sky, which has become one of the league’s most anticipated matchups thanks to Clark’s rivalry with Angel Reese.
—
Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 18 July 2025
The Red Hots logged 84 strikeouts against just 20 walks, with opposing batters hitting a paltry .218.
—Bill Speros, Boston Herald, 16 July 2025
Yes, but your ratio of filling to tortilla will be paltry compared to this homemade version, which cheaply and happily feeds a crowd.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 July 2025
But some say those cuts are still too paltry and predict that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could face one big buzzsaw in the Senate.
—Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for paltry
Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 18 July 2025
The Red Hots logged 84 strikeouts against just 20 walks, with opposing batters hitting a paltry .218.
—Bill Speros, Boston Herald, 16 July 2025
Yes, but your ratio of filling to tortilla will be paltry compared to this homemade version, which cheaply and happily feeds a crowd.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 July 2025
But some say those cuts are still too paltry and predict that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could face one big buzzsaw in the Senate.
—Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for paltry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paltry
Adjective
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Once Bernstein landed on broadcast television, in the mid-fifties, such guides looked pitiful.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
20 July 2025
-
The real version of Dave is equal parts pitiful and menacing, seductive and unable to fully pass himself as a normal person.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
28 June 2025
Adjective
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In his short stint in Scranton, that number has come down a hair, but still resides at an unacceptable 29.4%.—
Aaliyan Mohammed,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 July 2025
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Republicans were more evenly split, with 38% calling it unacceptable and 32% labeling it as acceptable.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
22 July 2025
Adjective
-
Arriving in London, Jess has a chance encounter with Felix (Will Sharpe), a broke musician, in a particularly vile pub toilet.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
17 July 2025
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The tweets, a vile departure from Elmo’s often inspiring and motivational social media cadence, were sent on July 13 and promptly taken down.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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Entry is for members only but available for a nominal fee.—
Susan Stapleton,
The Tennessean,
31 July 2025
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Allensworth said her team performed more than 60 official mission simulations, both with nominal and off-nominal situations to best equip the autonomous lunar lander for unforeseeable circumstances.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Adjective
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As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
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My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.—
Tim Neville,
Outside Online,
23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
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Spurred by climate change, Canadian wildfires have increasingly exacerbated poor air quality across Milwaukee and southern Wisconsin.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
24 July 2025
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Of course, poor Michael Landon had passed away way too young.—
Angela Andaloro,
People.com,
23 July 2025
Adjective
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Unfortunately, later in the day, arguments about controversial issues like politics and religion could get nasty.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
31 July 2025
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After dropping Monday’s opener to the Twins – following a nasty delay between the top and bottom of the ninth – the Red Sox got right back on the horse.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
31 July 2025
Adjective
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Car buyers are benefiting from a slight downturn in interest rates, too.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
31 July 2025
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The agency also issued forecast alerts of slight sea level changes for the rest of Japan’s coastline.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paltry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paltry. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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