1
as in pitiful
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
a paltry, underhanded scheme to get someone fired
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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the hotel's shabby, outdated exercise room was its paltry attempt at a health spa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
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of paltry
That drop was paltry compared to Indiana's June 7 game against the Chicago Sky, which has become one of the league’s most anticipated matchups thanks to Clark’s rivalry with Angel Reese.
—
Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 18 July 2025
The Red Hots logged 84 strikeouts against just 20 walks, with opposing batters hitting a paltry .218.
—Bill Speros, Boston Herald, 16 July 2025
Yes, but your ratio of filling to tortilla will be paltry compared to this homemade version, which cheaply and happily feeds a crowd.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 July 2025
But some say those cuts are still too paltry and predict that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could face one big buzzsaw in the Senate.
—Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for paltry
Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 18 July 2025
The Red Hots logged 84 strikeouts against just 20 walks, with opposing batters hitting a paltry .218.
—Bill Speros, Boston Herald, 16 July 2025
Yes, but your ratio of filling to tortilla will be paltry compared to this homemade version, which cheaply and happily feeds a crowd.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 July 2025
But some say those cuts are still too paltry and predict that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could face one big buzzsaw in the Senate.
—Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for paltry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paltry
Adjective
-
Once Bernstein landed on broadcast television, in the mid-fifties, such guides looked pitiful.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
20 July 2025
-
The real version of Dave is equal parts pitiful and menacing, seductive and unable to fully pass himself as a normal person.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
28 June 2025
Adjective
-
In his short stint in Scranton, that number has come down a hair, but still resides at an unacceptable 29.4%.—
Aaliyan Mohammed,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 July 2025
-
Clearly, the line the editorial board is trying to draw between acceptable and unacceptable social media use is murky at best.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
22 July 2025
Adjective
-
Arriving in London, Jess has a chance encounter with Felix (Will Sharpe), a broke musician, in a particularly vile pub toilet.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
17 July 2025
-
The tweets, a vile departure from Elmo’s often inspiring and motivational social media cadence, were sent on July 13 and promptly taken down.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
Entry is for members only but available for a nominal fee.—
Susan Stapleton,
The Tennessean,
31 July 2025
-
Allensworth said her team performed more than 60 official mission simulations, both with nominal and off-nominal situations to best equip the autonomous lunar lander for unforeseeable circumstances.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Adjective
-
As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
-
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
-
However, the quality of the product is sometimes, notably, poorer.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
4 Aug. 2025
-
In the dining room of The Brother Benno Center, a refuge for the area’s poor and homeless, more than 100 people gathered recently to celebrate the 90th birthday of the Rev. Charles Wright, who has been a spiritual guide there for four decades.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The 5-foot-8, 185-pound Robinson was on the receiving end of a nasty collision with outside linebacker Brian Burns on Friday.—
Dan Duggan,
New York Times,
31 July 2025
-
After dropping Monday’s opener to the Twins – following a nasty delay between the top and bottom of the ninth – the Red Sox got right back on the horse.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
31 July 2025
Adjective
-
Car buyers are benefiting from a slight downturn in interest rates, too.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
31 July 2025
-
Students' reading scores statewide, however, only showed slight drops from 2022 to 2024, but showed a continued lack of recovery from pandemic lows.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paltry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paltry. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share