1
as in pitiful
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
a paltry, underhanded scheme to get someone fired
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
the hotel's shabby, outdated exercise room was its paltry attempt at a health spa
Synonyms & Similar Words
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3
as in vile
not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency
just some paltry ruse to bilk the system
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in nominal
so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention
wanted me to sell him my old records for a paltry sum
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of paltry
The Saints ended the season with a paltry 5-12 record, despite having playmakers on both sides of the ball.
—
Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 22 Feb. 2025
The team is clearly making moves to rebound from their paltry 5-12 record in 2024.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
That makes Jupiter's 95 moons look paltry, and our single moon downright embarrassing.
—Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 13 Mar. 2025
Rodgers didn't have a terrible year per se, but the Jets ended the season with a paltry 5-12 record.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paltry
Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 22 Feb. 2025
The team is clearly making moves to rebound from their paltry 5-12 record in 2024.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
That makes Jupiter's 95 moons look paltry, and our single moon downright embarrassing.
—Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 13 Mar. 2025
Rodgers didn't have a terrible year per se, but the Jets ended the season with a paltry 5-12 record.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paltry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paltry
Adjective
-
But the modern Democratic Party, rudderless and confused and reeling from a pitiful collective performance during Tuesday evening's presidential joint address to Congress, now confronts a fork in the road that's no joke.—
Newsweek,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
-
My performance was beyond pitiful today, and has been for a while now.—
Ryan Morik,
Fox News,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Forcing Americans and small independent American companies to rely on those same tools is an unacceptable outcome of domestic legislation.—
Emma Woollacott,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Defense stocks were once considered socially unacceptable investments, but fund managers are slowly changing tack as the sector has rallied in recent years.—
Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Snow White gets a much more meaningful backstory The original Disney film begins with a few short sentences about how Snow White was forced to work as a scullery maid for her vile stepmother, the Queen.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA TODAY,
21 Mar. 2025
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Newsweek's efforts to politicize the death of these individuals, including the reporter's request to confirm names and locations of death, are vile.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
For adults, the service would be available for a nominal fee.—
Federico Guerrini,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
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These games will be purchasable standalone on the eShop and presumably at retail, or upgraded to for a nominal fee for existing owners of the game, much like how the PS5 handles its cross-gen upgrades.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
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My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.—
Tim Neville,
Outside Online,
23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
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There’s a real debate to be had about what responsibility better-off neighborhoods like Hyde Park have to help solve humanitarian problems that often are laid at the feet of poorer areas.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Apr. 2025
-
The strong United cohort, almost entirely comprised of dominant sides under Ferguson, has not shied away from criticising the club, players and managers when results have been poor.—
Elias Burke,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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His other performances included as Robert De Niro’s nasty henchman in Michael Mann’s Heat (1995); as Marlon Brando’s insane assistant in John Frankenheimer’s The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996) and as the suave crook Simon Templar in Phillip Noyce’s The Saint (1997).—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2025
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The veteran forward took a nasty fall with 3:21 left in the fourth quarter, landed hard on his tailbone, and spent minutes down on the court surrounded by teammates and coaches.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Good Night and Good Luck, starring George Clooney, was the highest grossing show on Broadway again last week, even as its grosses took a slight dip.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Apr. 2025
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International museums in 2024 collectively experienced a slight dip in attendance that marks a return to normalcy in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, the Art Newspaper reports.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paltry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paltry. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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