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the hotel's shabby, outdated exercise room was its paltry attempt at a health spa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
This final exchange pointed again to the paltry outcomes of the summit.
—
Simon Shuster, Time, 16 Aug. 2025
The pic is expected to take in around $840,000 for a paltry per-theater average of $460 and a sixteenth-place finish.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 16 Aug. 2025
His second wife, rich and vulgar, is the polar opposite of the first duchess’s distinction, just as Paracelsus’s elegant opacity is a better version of the paltry resident magician and alchemist whom the duke can afford.
—Literary Hub, 8 Aug. 2025
In May of 2025, that number fell to a staggering $961,084, while June was an equally paltry $1 million.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paltry
Simon Shuster, Time, 16 Aug. 2025
The pic is expected to take in around $840,000 for a paltry per-theater average of $460 and a sixteenth-place finish.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 16 Aug. 2025
His second wife, rich and vulgar, is the polar opposite of the first duchess’s distinction, just as Paracelsus’s elegant opacity is a better version of the paltry resident magician and alchemist whom the duke can afford.
—Literary Hub, 8 Aug. 2025
In May of 2025, that number fell to a staggering $961,084, while June was an equally paltry $1 million.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paltry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paltry
Adjective
-
Fried wasn’t the only reason the Yankees lost on Sunday, as the Bombers’ bats were pitiful against Jason Alexander.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
10 Aug. 2025
-
This negative sentiment was also felt on both sides of the Atlantic, given their pitiful plummet in popularity.—
Brie Stimson , Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
This is completely unacceptable.—
Daniella Segura,
Sacbee.com,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Any other items deemed inappropriate or unacceptable by management.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
The Enquirer,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
What's more, monsters like Alex Jones, the vile conspiracy theorist, claimed the shooting never happened and that the families of the victims were actors.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
29 Aug. 2025
-
His motives seemed as vile as his actions.—
Scott Maxwell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Is this the flipside of a higher nominal-growth metabolism across the world?—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
2 Sep. 2025
-
On the eve of World War I, Britain’s total debt, in nominal pounds, was about the same as 1819.—
Nathan Lewis,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Shootouts are lame in comparison.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
19 Aug. 2025
-
On the other hand, Powell probably has little incentive to commit firmly given high lame-duck status and the fact that more employment and inflation numbers will hit before the September meeting.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
These places are away from the public eye, but can put people in harm's way due to floodplains, poor quality water and exposure to the elements.—
Gina Lee Castro,
jsonline.com,
30 Aug. 2025
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It has been tagged as a giveaway to rich elites, and the administration is tapping a vice president who grew up poor in Middletown to turn public perception.—
Francesca Chambers,
The Enquirer,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The elite pitch arsenal Misiorowski has showcased in his 100-plus innings this season would instantly cement him as one of the best and nastiest closers in all of baseball.—
Andrew Wright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
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The gritty, often ear-splitting venue closed in 2020, plagued by the COVID pandemic and a nasty and complicated eviction battle.—
Connie Ogle,
Miami Herald,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Barefoot driving is legal in all 50 states, with the one slight exception being Alabama where footwear is required on motorcycles.—
Georgea Kovanis,
The Courier-Journal,
3 Sep. 2025
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Mail-in voting is now more popular among Democrats In the 2008 presidential election, there was only a slight difference in the popularity of mail-in voting by political party, according to a data analysis by Charles Stewart, director of the MIT Election Data and Science Lab.—
Carlie Procell,
USA Today,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paltry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paltry. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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