1
as in pitiful
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
a paltry, underhanded scheme to get someone fired
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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the hotel's shabby, outdated exercise room was its paltry attempt at a health spa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
Commoners could look forward to a paltry thirty-five or forty years of a hardscrabble existence, without the benefit of medicine, dentistry, or a decent sewage system.
—
Arthur Krystal, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
More than a month after the state ordered Los Angeles County’s sole juvenile hall shut down due to paltry staffing, a judge has once again spared the troubled facility from immediate closure.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2025
He’s gone nine games without a point, leaving him with just 38 points in 48 games — a paltry 65-point pace that would be a near 10-point drop from last season.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025
Despite the idea that some conservatives attempted to advance, Blacks comprised a paltry 4 percent of DEI positions in the workplace.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for paltry 
Arthur Krystal, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
More than a month after the state ordered Los Angeles County’s sole juvenile hall shut down due to paltry staffing, a judge has once again spared the troubled facility from immediate closure.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2025
He’s gone nine games without a point, leaving him with just 38 points in 48 games — a paltry 65-point pace that would be a near 10-point drop from last season.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025
Despite the idea that some conservatives attempted to advance, Blacks comprised a paltry 4 percent of DEI positions in the workplace.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for paltry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paltry
Adjective
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Who knew that banning books, paying teachers pitiful salaries and threatening them with jail if they were caught with salacious book titles would be the holy grail of student success?—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2025
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Who knew that banning books, paying teachers pitiful salaries and threatening them with jail if they were caught with salacious book titles would be the holy grail of student success.—
Letters to the Editor,
Orlando Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Nissan's board has decided that Honda’s terms for a merger are unacceptable, according to the Wall Street Journal.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA TODAY,
6 Feb. 2025
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What To Know Saudi Arabia firmly opposed Trump's suggestions, saying that any displacement of Palestinians is unacceptable.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This is due to Emilia Pérez lead Karla Sofía Gascón’s highly offensive and frankly vile tweets unearthed from several years back, which first emerged late last week.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
7 Feb. 2025
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The verdict: Its flavor was nothing short of despicably vile, which made Orly’s nail-biting polish both a gift and a curse along my journey to end my bad habit.—
Jennifer Hussein,
Allure,
30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Cultural battles are waged over single-gender bathrooms, diversity quotas, and female sports leagues — all under the same nominal movement.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
12 Feb. 2025
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That term traditionally implies a nominal or even negligible sum of money, which this was not.—
Shane Harris,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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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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This initiative helped avert potential global famines and boosted incomes for poor farmers, particularly in Asia.—
A.J. Russo,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Feb. 2025
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Without education, students with disabilities face higher rates of poverty, unemployment, poor health, and social isolation.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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What follows is a twisted game of house where familiar familial relationships crumble and new ones take root like nasty black weeds.—
M.L. Rio,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2025
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Eagles edge rusher Josh Sweat had the splashiest individual stat line with 2.5 sacks, but a crew of nasty defensive tackles wrought devastation versus the run and the pass.—
Tim Graham,
The Athletic,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The French fashion house pointed to a slight improvement in Asia Pacific and North America sales across its Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Bottega Veneta brands, but did not provide details on specific markets.—
Karen Gilchrist,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2025
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Last year, a pair of researchers claimed that the shockwaves of the shutdown could be felt as far as the moon, causing a slight dip in lunar surface temperatures.—
Nola Taylor Tillman,
Space.com,
10 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near paltry
Cite this Entry
“Paltry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paltry. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
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