measly
Americanadjective
-
Informal.
-
contemptibly small, meager, or slight.
They paid me a measly fifteen dollars for a day's work.
-
wretchedly bad or unsatisfactory.
a measly performance.
-
-
infected with measles, as an animal or its flesh.
-
pertaining to or resembling measles.
adjective
-
informal meagre in quality or quantity
-
(of meat) measled
-
having or relating to measles
Etymology
Origin of measly
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."
Vocabulary lists containing measly
Red Kayak
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Merci Suárez Changes Gears
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Distance Between Us
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
I may or may not have contributed to this crisis, having recently spent well over an hour trying to get a measly two tickets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Is our celebration of a measly 250 years of continuous operation another example of American puffery?
From Slate ● Jul. 4, 2026
After Manchester came Brighton, where Littler was dumped out at the quarter-final stage by Stephen Bunting with a measly 84 average.
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
I have a friend—one measly friend—who’s sworn off Botox.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 17, 2026
“You say that every time, Beans,” Kermit said, munching on the measly lunch the nickel had bought us: cracker sandwiches.
From Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm
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
“It’s the meanest, low-downest, dirtiest, measliest trick they’ve ever tried to do, and that’s sayin’ a whole heap!
From With Hoops of Steel by Dan Smith
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
"I should be proud to share with you the measliest dug-out in a Flanders graveyard," replied the Colonel emphatically.
From The Lost Naval Papers by Bennet Copplestone
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
