paltry

adjective

ˈpȯl-trē How to pronounce paltry (audio)
Definition of paltrynext
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falling short of a standard the hotel's shabby, outdated exercise room was its paltry attempt at a health spa

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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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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

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 paltry Of the nearly 80 works by Gonzales shown, only a paltry sold; most were ultimately repurchased by Guérard, and remained in the family. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 21 May 2026 The other candidates in the races have raised sums that are paltry in comparison to Bera and Hall. — Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2026 Ultimately, their preferred candidate, a moderate, prevailed, but Jude said that he is disappointed with the new administration’s policies, which have cut already paltry funding for public education. — Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026 But the frequency with which these scams are occurring — spurred by the ease of making and disseminating AI music — suggests scammers aren’t exactly deterred by paltry royalty payouts. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for paltry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paltry
  1. pitiful
  2. unacceptable
  3. vile
  4. nominal
  5. lame
  6. poor
  7. nasty
  8. slight
Adjective
  • Completing the hat trick in pitiful style, Taking on the World was shot on a shoestring budget, helmed by the man behind Highlander III, and forced to rely on stock footage of real-life footballers.
    — Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026
  • Given the national team’s pitiful demise at the Oval, with New Zealand completing victory on the fifth morning, Ben Stokes’ revival in absentia feels like the only consolation from a miserable week.
    — Hector Vickers, New York Times, 21 June 2026
Definition of pitiful
Adjective
  • Still, only 28% of readers said that AI use is unacceptable in all of the circumstances presented by the survey.
    — Cameron Pugh, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Intervene Intervene means several signals—or one sufficiently consequential event—indicate probable deterioration or unacceptable outcomes.
    — Gerald J. Leonard, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of unacceptable
Adjective
  • Disgusted that any adult would ever consider exploiting a child in such a vile and predatory way.
    — Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • His tenure came to an end when video surfaced of a drunken Galliano berating other customers at a Paris bar with vile antisemitic insults.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of vile
Adjective
  • Rather than source a direct, probably expensive, replacement in the market, Carrick fielded a fluid front four on Saturday, with Bryan Mbeumo deputising as the nominal forward.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
  • United Russia, the country’s nominal ruling party, was never built to designate an heir; rather, it was meant to ensure that elections produced reliably pro-regime seat-fillers in institutions such as parliament.
    — Julian G. Waller, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of nominal
Adjective
  • In that time seven states seceded from the Union, while lame-duck Pres.
    — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The jokes are still wildly scattershot and frequently, knowingly lame; the production is still cheap and cheerfully scrappy; the whole ragged enterprise is still reliant on the evident affection and chemistry between its players to hold it together.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of lame
Adjective
  • But tensions have opened up between data center boosters and some community organizations that want to see more jobs and economic benefits go to local residents, especially predominantly poor Hispanic farm and food processing workers.
    — Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Conventional wisdom usually attributes those failures to changing markets, disruptive competitors, or poor leadership.
    — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • Her boyfriend is nasty Sebastiano’s older soldier son Michelangelo (Lorenzo Richelmy), a true chip off the old block.
    — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Beyond those obvious impediments, Elkins was coming off a nasty stoppage loss in his previous fight against Julian Erosa at UFC 314 in April 2025.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of nasty
Adjective
  • Sale appeared to have a slight hitch in his leg before starting his motion when he was called for his third career balk.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
  • And earlier this week, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey for June showed a slight pickup in hiring and quits (an indicator of employee confidence) while layoffs were essentially unchanged.
    — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of slight

Browse Nearby Words

paltriness
paltry
pampa
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Cite this Entry

“Paltry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paltry. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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