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the hotel's shabby, outdated exercise room was its paltry attempt at a health spa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
That the Hurricanes were able to get him for max term at a paltry $7.4 million felt like a massive win.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 29 July 2025
The relatively paltry downturn on the pay-TV front gave Charter its strongest video showing since 2021 and left Charter at the top of the heap with 12.6 million residential and small-business subs.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 28 July 2025
That’s also why its dividends are so paltry: Gold doesn’t yield anything, so most of ASA’s portfolio yields nothing, as well.
—Michael Foster, Forbes.com, 27 July 2025
This year, Wacha has averaged a paltry 2.29 runs of support per start.
—Kansas City Star, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for paltry
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Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 29 July 2025
The relatively paltry downturn on the pay-TV front gave Charter its strongest video showing since 2021 and left Charter at the top of the heap with 12.6 million residential and small-business subs.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 28 July 2025
That’s also why its dividends are so paltry: Gold doesn’t yield anything, so most of ASA’s portfolio yields nothing, as well.
—Michael Foster, Forbes.com, 27 July 2025
This year, Wacha has averaged a paltry 2.29 runs of support per start.
—Kansas City Star, 19 July 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 5 Aug. 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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