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the hotel's shabby, outdated exercise room was its paltry attempt at a health spa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
Employees, many of whom were classified as part-time or independent contractors, earned paltry wages despite working gruelling weeks.
—
Thessaly La Force, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2025
This final exchange pointed again to the paltry outcomes of the summit.
—Simon Shuster, Time, 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
Thessaly La Force, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2025
This final exchange pointed again to the paltry outcomes of the summit.
—Simon Shuster, Time, 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
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As del Toro sees it, Frankenstein’s pitiful creation has been cursed with life, cannot be killed (even bullets don’t stop him) and must face the same existential crisis that confronts us all.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
30 Aug. 2025
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Over 1,000 murdered whilst queuing for aid, starved due to their siege, whilst pitiful amounts of aid delivered by a sham agency controlled by Israel.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Unwavering loyalty Schrandt told ABC News that any deportations to Afghanistan are an unacceptable outcome.—
Chris Boccia,
ABC News,
5 Sep. 2025
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Cosmetics are not the only place that regulators assessed an unacceptable level of risk.—
Keyaira Boone,
Essence,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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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
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His motives seemed as vile as his actions.—
Scott Maxwell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The current, nominal target for such a mission is 2027, but no reasonable observer believes that is possible.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
5 Sep. 2025
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Though the nominal focus is Hind Rajab herself, Ben Hania’s film is a window on the world of Palestine’s Red Crescent volunteer service.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Shootouts are lame in comparison.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
19 Aug. 2025
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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
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But prorating three years of player profits down to 12 months, as UEFA’s rule does, reduces the immediate efficacy of successful trading in the market, the very strategy that poorer clubs increasingly rely on to climb the ladder.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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Like most extended car warranty providers, CarShield excludes pre-existing conditions that existed before your warranty took effect, as well as damage resulting from poor maintenance, neglect or intentional abuse.—
Brian Sloan,
CNBC,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Sean Gardner/Getty Images This comes just weeks after Zilisch suffered a nasty fall from his car in Victory Lane at Watkins Glen, which resulted in a broken collarbone.—
Lydia Mee,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
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Parents pushing, people cutting lines, nasty attitudes everywhere, especially outside and in Sephora.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Boise State basketball’s conference schedule was announced on Tuesday morning, and there’s a slight difference to this year’s Mountain West slate.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
9 Sep. 2025
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While strong finances and health helped bolster the country's overall 70% score, that was offset by factors including income inequality, a slight increase in unemployment and a decline in happiness.—
Lorie Konish,
CNBC,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paltry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paltry. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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