measly

American  

[mee-zlee] / ˈmi zli /

adjective

measlier, measliest

1. Informal.

   1. contemptibly small, meager, or slight.

      They paid me a measly fifteen dollars for a day's work.

   2. wretchedly bad or unsatisfactory.

      a measly performance.

2. infected with measles, as an animal or its flesh.

3. pertaining to or resembling measles.

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measly British  

/ ˈmiːzlɪ /

adjective

1. informal meagre in quality or quantity

2. (of meat) measled

3. having or relating to measles

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Etymology

Origin of measly

First recorded in 1680–90; measl(es) + -y ¹

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Explanation

Measly is a great word for describing an amount or number so small that it's ridiculous. You'll be disappointed (and maybe even annoyed) if you're paid a measly six dollars to babysit a toddler for two hours. If you've got a measly ten minutes to eat lunch between classes, it's a laughably short amount of time — hardly enough to unwrap your tuna sandwich. And when a detective has a measly number of clues to help her solve a crime, it can seem nearly impossible. This informal word comes from British slang, and it originally meant "affected by measles."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

measly measliest

No whining about measly travel headaches with the mother of all bad-trip sagas looming on the big screen.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

Is our celebration of a measly 250 years of continuous operation another example of American puffery?

From Slate ● Jul. 4, 2026

The Bank of Canada expects the country’s resource economy to grow a measly 1.1% this year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 29, 2026

Yet Newcastle never looked like producing a similar moment as Sunday's game went on, and forwards Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade mustered just a measly shot between them.

From BBC ● Jan. 25, 2026

The delivery boy from the bakery has supplied us with darning thread—90 cents for one measly skein—the milkman can get hold of ration books, an undertaker delivers cheese.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

He scored more points and played more minutes than anyone on the court in a game that ended 87-82, the measliest winning margin in a men’s or women’s final since 1972.

From The Guardian ● Aug. 7, 2021

She adorns the measliest note with proud individuality, and in this recording caresses and enriches works ranging from Handel's Care selve through Weber's Leise, leise to Puccini's Senza mamma.

From Time Magazine Archive

Naw, sirree-bob!" was the impolite response across the fence, "them 'bout the measliest tales they is.

From Miss Minerva and William Green Hill by Frances Boyd Calhoun

But this calf threw the measliest lot of runts you ever saw and finally Joe sold him for beef.

From The Black Fawn by James Arthur Kjelgaard

About the measliest shack there wuz in the country.

From Si Klegg, Book 2 (of 6) Thru The Stone River Campaign And In Winter Quarters At Murfreesboro by John McElroy

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Related Words

• meager
• miserable
• miserly
• paltry
• pitiful
• puny

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