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the hotel's shabby, outdated exercise room was its paltry attempt at a health spa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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in vile
not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency
just some paltry ruse to bilk the system
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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
With such a paltry salary, advocates for the idea say, lawmakers are typically wealthy, retired or need to seek out help from patrons of one sort or another to get by.
—
Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 12 Jan. 2026
In the end, Kapoor’s reckoning came over a dispute involving a relatively paltry $80,000 and an outsider.
—Sarah Blaskey, Miami Herald, 16 Dec. 2025
The 31-year-old forward has a paltry return of three goals in 26 appearances since joining for £27m from Borussia Dortmund in 2024.
—Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025
While much of the western United States is struggling with warm temperatures and paltry early-season snowfall, Vermont and the Northeast have experienced a glut of precipitation.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paltry
Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 12 Jan. 2026
In the end, Kapoor’s reckoning came over a dispute involving a relatively paltry $80,000 and an outsider.
—Sarah Blaskey, Miami Herald, 16 Dec. 2025
The 31-year-old forward has a paltry return of three goals in 26 appearances since joining for £27m from Borussia Dortmund in 2024.
—Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025
While much of the western United States is struggling with warm temperatures and paltry early-season snowfall, Vermont and the Northeast have experienced a glut of precipitation.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paltry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paltry
Adjective
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Mercy came via a bye week, the pitiful Raiders and an inept Cowboys defense.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Writer-director Craig Brewer resists the temptation to make Mike and Claire in any way pitiful or worthy of derision.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Local officials criticized the FAA for imposing the closure without advance notice or coordination, calling the lack of communication unacceptable.—
Seung Min Kim,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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That failure to communicate is unacceptable.—
Jay Blackman,
NBC news,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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How heartbreaking, and how vile, that any adult claiming compassion would seek to imbue a child with that extreme allergy to their own self.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Jan. 2026
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The Diary again casts its eye far and wide for news, any news, that might distract us all from the vile toxicity emanating from Washington—make that Davos.—
Chop Choppish Shop,
Air Mail,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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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
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And Siegfried keeps trying to understand what’s wrong with this goat that its owner claims is lame.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
9 Feb. 2026
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With about a year left until the next mayoral election, the attacks from Johnson’s opponents attempting to preemptively paint him as a lame-duck mayor could also turn off candidates worried about job stability, but their contract specifics would vary by agency.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Semmann said stores raise prices primarily in response to supply chain issues, such as poor harvests, changes to international trade policy or increasing logistical costs.—
Francesca Pica,
jsonline.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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Boating conditions are poor across offshore waters south of Cape Canaveral, while small craft need to exercise caution near the inlets.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The mother of three was first spotted with the hunky Larocca, in October 2024, about six months after the nasty breakup with Hall.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
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Talarico remarked that the nasty interloper would provide good color for my story, and then recalled the time that former Governor Rick Perry had encountered a coyote while running outside Austin—and shot it dead.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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On Friday, there was only a slight danger of avalanches in Slovakia's highest mountain range.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Feb. 2026
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Sateen weave bedding also tends to have a slight sheen with a drapey design, and an opulent feel right out of the package, Brenot points out.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paltry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paltry. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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