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.
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the hotel's shabby, outdated exercise room was its paltry attempt at a health spa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
The Tar Heels' defense was suffocating against West Virginia, holding them to a paltry 13-for-54 (24.1%) from the field and just 2-for-21 (9.5%) from the 3-point line.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Investors are not taking chances—ACN is down 23% and the knife still falls:
Even after its drop, ACN still pays a paltry 1.9%.
—Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
This kind of attention from the law is beneath him, but especially for such a paltry sum, relative to his vast, vast wealth.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2025
This bonus is a relatively paltry $1,000 and is standard across the staff, with no fluctuations based on merit.
—Anna Holmes, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paltry
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Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Investors are not taking chances—ACN is down 23% and the knife still falls:
Even after its drop, ACN still pays a paltry 1.9%.
—Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
This kind of attention from the law is beneath him, but especially for such a paltry sum, relative to his vast, vast wealth.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2025
This bonus is a relatively paltry $1,000 and is standard across the staff, with no fluctuations based on merit.
—Anna Holmes, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paltry
Cite this Entry
“Paltry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paltry. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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
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