as in nominal
so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention
offered her guest only one measly cookie
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Recent Examples of measly
What was she supposed to do after that, write a bunch of measly recipes?
—
Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2025
Northwestern had 150 total yards and 10 points in the first quarter, while Minnesota had five measly yards and zero points.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 22 Nov. 2025
One time, the entrepreneurial pair were at a McDonald’s in Hong Kong, and Gates recalled laughing when Buffett offered to foot the measly bill, pulling coupons out of his pocket.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 12 Nov. 2025
Expanding the Mac mini M4’s storage beyond the measly base 256GB SSD is eye-watering.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for measly
Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2025
Northwestern had 150 total yards and 10 points in the first quarter, while Minnesota had five measly yards and zero points.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 22 Nov. 2025
One time, the entrepreneurial pair were at a McDonald’s in Hong Kong, and Gates recalled laughing when Buffett offered to foot the measly bill, pulling coupons out of his pocket.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 12 Nov. 2025
Expanding the Mac mini M4’s storage beyond the measly base 256GB SSD is eye-watering.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for measly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for measly
Adjective
-
The source said the Heat were not willing to offload for nominal draft capital.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
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Today, his brother Raúl Castro is 94, and Cuba’ s nominal president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, is an obscure bureaucrat who has a hard time keeping his audiences awake.—
Andres Oppenheimer,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
For the latter, a 2023 meta-analysis found that even a slight bump in the average monthly temperature can lead to increases in suicide and suicidal behavior.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Washington has made a slight improvement on defense, especially as a rim protector, but there’s more room for Washington to regain his footing during the final quarter of the season.—
Mike Curtis,
Dallas Morning News,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In 2018, the company had a viral moment when Catherine’s sister-in-law, the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, wore their jeans at a public event, setting off a frenzy that spiked demand and overwhelmed the tiny operation of around 20 employees at the time.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
5 Feb. 2026
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Her subsequent eviction from the Beguines leads to her accepting the Bishop’s offer of sanctuary—as an anchorite, destined to live out her days in a tiny stone outcropping.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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On top of the tariff challenges, paltry snowfall in the West has led to less exposure for Wildcoat’s gear.—
Max Scheinblum,
Denver Post,
7 Feb. 2026
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The paltry level of retirement savings may also help explain rising poverty among older Americans.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Measly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/measly. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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