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

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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falling short of a standard the hotel's shabby, outdated exercise room was its paltry attempt at a health spa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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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 There are many legitimate reasons to bash Becerra, from his refusal to participate in more debates to his paltry number of public rallies to a platform that sounds like more of what created California’s current woes. — Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026 The country is mired in a war with Iran with no graceful exit opportunities; a new round of tariffs threatens to further disrupt fragile global trade relations; and the domestic economy faces inflation combined with paltry growth. — Zachary Karabell, Washington Post, 21 Aug. 2026 Criston Cole has a paltry force and one the Riverlanders loyal to Rhaenyra and Daemon should have no trouble with. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026 On the other side, despite shooting a paltry 4-of-9 from the field, Angel Reese still managed to secure a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 5 June 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
  • Nvidia is the pitiful, helpless giant, now revealed, according to the bears, to have just propped up an ecosystem for its own earnings, with a CEO now revealed to be a dubious character.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Yet Scudder, a progressive thirty-six-year-old real-estate analyst raised by lesbians on a purple-hull-pea farm in East Texas, assumed the post in 2025, and has been in a rush to reverse his party’s pitiful showings.
    — Jesús Rodríguez, New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of pitiful
Adjective
  • William James Middle received its fifth unacceptable rating in a row in the 2025-26 school year.
    — Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Not going for it on 4th down, and then settling for a field goal attempt with a 3 point lead is unacceptable!
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of unacceptable
Adjective
  • Ilhan Omar turns her defense over to a vile purveyor of hate.
    — , FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026
  • New additions include singer Tank, who plays vile music exec Eric Cropper and Jax’s main client, Beauty in Black star Taylor Polidore Williams as Eric’s wife Brooke, La La Anthony as Eric’s first wife Melina, and then Megan Good as Regina Harris.
    — Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of vile
Adjective
  • The latest cells can retain around 90 percent of their nominal capacity at temperatures as low as -40°C (-40°F), outperforming conventional lithium-ion chemistries, particularly LFP.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Recordings averaged six hours and 38 minutes, roughly half a battery’s nominal life, the report said.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of nominal
Adjective
  • The lame-duck Senate has 22 legislative days scheduled before the new Congress is sworn in.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Trump was trounced, the country triumphed, and the long national nightmare is over, but for the rest of his lame-duck presidency.
    — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of lame
Adjective
  • Nearby residents have argued that the large apartment complex will be a poor fit for their neighborhood, citing concerns about traffic congestion and fire department access, among other things.
    — Barbara Henry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The Lions’ high-flying offense is at its best on turf, not nearly as fast on grass, and their poor red zone defense has been an issue.
    — Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • Surely, though, it is not lost on the audience that this play opens in the middle of a strikingly nasty political campaign to elect members of the Chicago school board, warring Democrats all.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Someone who hung up on your problem is unlikely to listen to a nasty critique and vow to reform.
    — Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of nasty
Adjective
  • Davis held a slight lead Wednesday, and the race between Murphy and Democratic challenger Raymond Smith was particularly close.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The slight gap between the two candidates doesn’t bode well for Bass, since Raman is expected to secure a larger portion of the late-arriving ballots in the coming days.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 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 8 Nov. 2026.

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