1
as in pitiful
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
a paltry, underhanded scheme to get someone fired
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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the hotel's shabby, outdated exercise room was its paltry attempt at a health spa
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in vile
not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency
just some paltry ruse to bilk the system
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of paltry
The paltry paycheck, apparently, didn’t factor at all into her decision.
—
Lara Walsh, InStyle, 4 Mar. 2026
In fact, after nearly four years of fighting, Russia controls only a fifth of Ukraine’s territory and has made paltry territorial gains since early in the war — at enormous cost.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 24 Feb. 2026
In May of 2025, that number fell to a staggering $961,084, while June was an equally paltry $1 million.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 23 Feb. 2026
On top of the tariff challenges, paltry snowfall in the West has led to less exposure for Wildcoat’s gear.
—Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paltry
Lara Walsh, InStyle, 4 Mar. 2026
In fact, after nearly four years of fighting, Russia controls only a fifth of Ukraine’s territory and has made paltry territorial gains since early in the war — at enormous cost.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 24 Feb. 2026
In May of 2025, that number fell to a staggering $961,084, while June was an equally paltry $1 million.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 23 Feb. 2026
On top of the tariff challenges, paltry snowfall in the West has led to less exposure for Wildcoat’s gear.
—Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paltry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paltry
Adjective
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These two beacons of truth and connoisseurs of mess have been bonded for over a decade, sharing the traumas of a crappy Boston dorm room and a pitiful Brooklyn dating scene.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026
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Most of the time, experts say, vaguebooking boils down to a pitiful plea for attention on the part of the poster.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Ultimately, this will mean more encampments, more preventable deaths in the streets, and more individuals and families with no other option but to live in unsafe and unacceptable conditions.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
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Not ready for prime time Amazon’s Prime Video losing its feed in overtime of the Charlotte Hornets-Miami Heat play-in game was unacceptable for a streaming network that deems itself big time.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Fans, some of them little kids parroting what their parents were saying, called him vile names.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
-
His Max is both vile and charming, and the result is undeniably magnetic.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The bulls claim that trend justifies today’s valuations, and that EPS can keep rolling in double-digits while national income trudges at a nominal 5% or so.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
19 Apr. 2026
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Funds routed through weakly regulated financial centers, often under nominal compliance regimes, help seed narratives designed to divide Western societies and undermine political cohesion.—
Gaurav Srivastava,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The band felt embarrassed wearing those lame outfits.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
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Full lame-duck seasons like the one coming up here are rare; and for good reason.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The Braves couldn’t overcome a poor start from Reynaldo López and saw their six-game winning streak fall by the wayside in an 11-4 loss to the Nationals on Tuesday at Nationals Park.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
22 Apr. 2026
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In the days leading up to his fatal overdose, Prince was in poor health and was forced to cancel shows in Atlanta.—
Alex Gurley,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The duo made up for the absence of Wembanyama, who did not clear concussion protocol after a nasty fall knocked him out early from a Game 2 loss.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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Lomu did not fit the typical profile Mike Vrabel seeks in linemen, players with a nasty streak and fierce play demeanor.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The Knicks are slight favorites to win Game 4, and a win would flip things back around.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
If your car is equipped with front radar or driver‑assist features, dirt on the sensor or slight misalignment from a parking‑lot bump could also be the culprit.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paltry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paltry. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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