paltrier; paltriest
2
: mean, despicable
a paltry trick
3
: trivial
a paltry excuse
they in their greatness don't have to bother with such paltry restrictions—
Vanessa Feltz
Vanessa Feltz
paltriness
noun
Did you know?
Before "paltry" was an adjective, it was a noun meaning "trash." That now obsolete noun in turn came from "palt" or "pelt," dialect terms meaning "a piece of coarse cloth," or broadly, "trash." The adjective "paltry" first meant "trashy," but currently has a number of senses, all generally meaning "no good." A "paltry house" might be run-down and unfit for occupancy; a "paltry trick" is a trick that is low-down and dirty; a "paltry excuse" is a trivial one; and a "paltry sum" is small and insufficient.
Synonyms
Examples of paltry in a Sentence
a paltry, underhanded scheme to get someone fired
the hotel's shabby, outdated exercise room was its paltry attempt at a health spa
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s because Ohtani, the Dodgers DH and pitcher, is making a paltry $2 million per season over the next 10 years.
—David K. Li, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
In a rare reversal of the rich-keep-getting-richer trope, No. 17 Houston and its relatively paltry $138.3 million roster beat the top-spending Dodgers ($259.4 million) in 2017.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 24 Oct. 2024
Allen was relieved of his duties after the team dropped to a paltry 2-7 start.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Recent analysis from the Penn Wharton Budget Model shows Trump could add $5.8 trillion in new debt over 10 years, while Harris would only increase it by a paltry $1.2 trillion.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for paltry 
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.
David K. Li, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
In a rare reversal of the rich-keep-getting-richer trope, No. 17 Houston and its relatively paltry $138.3 million roster beat the top-spending Dodgers ($259.4 million) in 2017.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 24 Oct. 2024
Allen was relieved of his duties after the team dropped to a paltry 2-7 start.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Recent analysis from the Penn Wharton Budget Model shows Trump could add $5.8 trillion in new debt over 10 years, while Harris would only increase it by a paltry $1.2 trillion.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for paltry
Dictionary Entries Near paltry
Cite this Entry
“Paltry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paltry. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
paltry
adjective
pal·try
ˈpȯl-trē 
paltrier; paltriest
1
: petty sense 3, mean
a paltry trick
2
: trivial sense 2, worthless
a paltry sum
paltriness
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share