1
as in pitiful
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
a paltry, underhanded scheme to get someone fired
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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the hotel's shabby, outdated exercise room was its paltry attempt at a health spa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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
The Charlotte Hornets are now just 10 games away from the end of their regular season on April 12, which in recent seasons has meant that the crowds are paltry, the team is irrelevant and everyone is just ready to get the slog over with.
—
Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar. 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
Forbes magazine reported that production costs for the latter film ballooned to more than $370 million, but its worldwide gross was a relatively paltry $206 million.
—René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Mar. 2026
The paltry paycheck, apparently, didn’t factor at all into her decision.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paltry
Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar. 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
Forbes magazine reported that production costs for the latter film ballooned to more than $370 million, but its worldwide gross was a relatively paltry $206 million.
—René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Mar. 2026
The paltry paycheck, apparently, didn’t factor at all into her decision.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paltry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paltry
Adjective
-
Trump has made a pitiful shambles of what should have been a glorious moment.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
31 May 2026
-
With his country flailing in their pitiful attempts to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, at the age of 33, Zidane underwent his change of heart.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
Warsh called that unacceptable and kept saying so.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
-
This proposal is utterly unacceptable.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Powerful, rich people filled the lawn to watch a violent sport that ended with a vile and racist comment.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 June 2026
-
That person is referring to heavyweight Josh Hokit, who is facing widespread backlash for making a vile joke about former first lady Michelle Obama after winning his match over Derrick Lewis.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Tyumen refinery, one of the country's most modern and complex, has a nominal capacity of around 8 million metric tons per year.—
Ron Popeski,
USA Today,
20 June 2026
-
Self-park options are available for overnight guests for a nominal fee, and the hotel is dog-friendly (no additional fee).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
In November 2008 an errant air strike, conducted under auspices of a lame-duck Bush administration, killed 37 civilians who were at a wedding party in Wech Baghtu, Afghanistan.—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
15 June 2026
-
At supper the guides exchanged significant glances across the fire and acted like a couple of guys who have picked a lame horse.—
Fred Bear,
Outdoor Life,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Rebecca Lowe joins Dan Patrick to discuss some of the top storylines around the World Cup, including Cristiano Ronaldo's poor play to start, the United States' potential and more.—
Monica Alba,
NBC news,
24 June 2026
-
Will the gap between rural and urban America – and the gap between rich and poor America – decline or grow?—
Arthur Cosby,
Fortune,
23 June 2026
Adjective
-
Those early 2010s Blackhawks teams were nasty, and they were all led by Toews.—
Matt Reigle,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
-
Lindy Ruff’s system was a tough fit, and a nasty ankle injury derailed his initial momentum in upstate New York.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Emmys’ producers passing up on even the slightest possibility of a Werner Herzog acceptance speech is sheer lunacy.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
20 June 2026
-
The team has improved so much that its 1-1 draw against powerhouse Brazil was a slight disappointment.—
David Brandt,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paltry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paltry. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
