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

Example Sentences

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

From The Wall Street Journal

Flopears had only a measly little square of hard salt-and-water corn bread in his pail that wouldn’t fill a wood tick.

From Literature

“And you take it! Like a dog eating measly leftovers they throw at you.”

From Literature

Daoud said he expected Hezbollah to sit out the fight unless its patron was in existential peril, but added that what he called the group’s “measly opening salvo” made little strategic sense.

From The Wall Street Journal

But at least last time I hadn’t failed by one measly second.

From Literature

Related Words

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