paltry

[pawl-tree]

adjective

paltrier, paltriest 

1. ridiculously or insultingly small.

   a paltry sum.

   Synonyms: insignificant, slight, inconsiderable, minor
   Antonyms: major, important

2. utterly worthless.

3. mean or contemptible.

   a paltry coward.

paltry

/ ˈpɔːltrɪ /

adjective

1. insignificant; meagre

2. worthless or petty

Other Word Forms

• paltrily adverb
• paltriness noun
• unpaltry adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of paltry¹

First recorded in 1560–70; from Low German paltrig “ragged,” equivalent to *palter “rag” ( dialectal German Palter ) + -ig -y ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of paltry¹

C16: from Low Germanic palter, paltrig ragged

Synonym Study

See petty.

Example Sentences

That’s peanuts for schools with paltry endowments, but it’s a stiff tax on many great research universities.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

One worry is that thanks to the rapid growth and widespread adoption of index funds that track the S&P 500, many investors have significant exposure to that index and its paltry yield.

Read more on Barron's

The paltry defense launched by the county has some rethinking the law that started the deluge.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

During L.A.’s recent heat wave, when temperatures regularly surpassed 90 degrees, a woman selling rose bouquets out of buckets at Pershing Square looked beleaguered while standing in the paltry shade of a tree.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Nevertheless, the show does the news profession a solid by depicting Ned, Mare, and Softees’ other volunteer journalists as quixotic heroes doing the best they can with paltry resources and managerial roadblocks.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• insignificant 
• meager 
• measly 
• miserable 
• pitiful 
• puny 
• trivial