paltry
adjective
pal·try ˈpȯl-trē 
paltrier; paltriest
1
: inferior, trashy
built paltry houses unfit for occupancy
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 Feltz4
: meager, measly
made a paltry donation
Sales have increased by a paltry two percent.
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.
Synonyms
- cheap
- contemptible
- cruddy
- deplorable
- despicable
- dirty
- grubby
- lame
- lousy
- mean
- nasty
- pitiable
- pitiful
- ratty
- scabby
- scummy
- scurvy
- sneaking
- sorry
- wretched
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
a paltry, underhanded scheme to get someone fired the hotel's shabby, outdated exercise room was its paltry attempt at a health spa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 These donations are paltry in the scale of government spending. Ed Caesar, The New Yorker, 25 June 2022 After gobbling up government bonds and mortgage securities during the Great Recession, the Fed started reducing its balance sheet — which then contained a comparatively paltry $4.5 trillion in assets — in late 2017. Julia Horowitz, CNN, 1 June 2022 Republican lawmakers, who voted for the plan — stickers and all — to avoid going on the record against tax breaks, say the savings will be paltry. Dan Petrella, chicagotribune.com, 16 Apr. 2022 Their payroll is so paltry that the Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, Phillies and Padres are spending more per month on their payroll than the A’s for the entire season. Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2022 In early 2020, Houston’s estate sent a holographic version of the singer on tour, hoping that an uncanny valley version of Whitney would provide the income stream that her relatively paltry musical vaults had not. Washington Post, 11 Feb. 2022 The employee engagement market is projected to be only $370 million, which is pretty paltry compared to the money spent on customer engagement. Arvind Jain, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2022 Meanwhile, workers taking entry-level jobs saw comparably paltry growth of just 2.5%. Q.ai - Make Genius Money Moves, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2021 The author sees climate change as an imminent threat to which the response has been paltry. New York Times, 23 Nov. 2021 See More
Ed Caesar, The New Yorker, 25 June 2022 After gobbling up government bonds and mortgage securities during the Great Recession, the Fed started reducing its balance sheet — which then contained a comparatively paltry $4.5 trillion in assets — in late 2017. Julia Horowitz, CNN, 1 June 2022 Republican lawmakers, who voted for the plan — stickers and all — to avoid going on the record against tax breaks, say the savings will be paltry. Dan Petrella, chicagotribune.com, 16 Apr. 2022 Their payroll is so paltry that the Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, Phillies and Padres are spending more per month on their payroll than the A’s for the entire season. Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2022 In early 2020, Houston’s estate sent a holographic version of the singer on tour, hoping that an uncanny valley version of Whitney would provide the income stream that her relatively paltry musical vaults had not. Washington Post, 11 Feb. 2022 The employee engagement market is projected to be only $370 million, which is pretty paltry compared to the money spent on customer engagement. Arvind Jain, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2022 Meanwhile, workers taking entry-level jobs saw comparably paltry growth of just 2.5%. Q.ai - Make Genius Money Moves, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2021 The author sees climate change as an imminent threat to which the response has been paltry. New York Times, 23 Nov. 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
obsolete paltry trash, from dialect palt, pelt piece of coarse cloth, trash; akin to Middle Low German palte rag
First Known Use
1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
paltry
adjective
pal·try ˈpȯl-trē
paltrier; paltriest
: of little amount, value, or importance
"I will not be exchanged for such a trifle. My mere weight? A paltry treasure you could carry on a shoulder?" Sid Fleishman, The Whipping Boy
Sid Fleishman, The Whipping Boypaltry
adjective
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
- pitiful
- lame
- cheap
- wretched
- dirty
- mean
- nasty
- disgusting
- lousy
- sneaking
- hateful
- pitiable
- contemptible
- vile
- deplorable
- grubby
- despicable
- scabby
- sorry
- scurvy
- ratty
- cruddy
- shameful
- abominable
- odious
- disgraceful
- scummy
- loathsome
- execrable
- abhorrent
- ignominious
- repulsive
- repugnant
- detestable
- revolting
- ignoble
- shabby
- base
- sordid
- squalid
- disreputable
- dishonorable
- craven
- discreditable
- condemnable
- low
- reprehensible
- reptilian
- dastardly
- cowardly
- unscrupulous
- revulsive
- unprincipled
- unethical
- censurable
- reproachable
- blamable
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- admirable
- laudable
- creditable
- commendable
- praiseworthy
- meritorious
- noble
- honorable
- good
- redoubtable
- scrupulous
- honest
- moral
- reputable
- upright
- right
- virtuous
- high-minded
- ethical
- righteous
- right-minded
- principled
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
- unacceptable
- poor
- lame
- wrong
- bad
- deficient
- pathetic
- terrible
- awful
- horrible
- disastrous
- flawed
- wretched
- unsatisfactory
- substandard
- crummy
- dreadful
- brutal
- subpar
- off
- bastard
- lousy
- lacking
- suboptimal
- inferior
- sour
- bush
- inadequate
- below par
- ill
- from hunger
- short
- wanting
- wack
- dissatisfactory
- abysmal
- meager
- crumby
- insufficient
- useless
- rotten
- gross
- defective
- punk
- bush-league
- lesser
- worthless
- miserable
- under par
- unspeakable
- atrocious
- damnable
- horrendous
- mediocre
- deplorable
- egregious
- vile
- execrable
- common
- detestable
- shoddy
- miserly
- flagrant
- stinky
- abominable
- meagre
- odious
- faulty
- crappy
- sucky
- gnarly
- skimpy
- scanty
- bum
- valueless
- reprehensible
- cheesy
- coarse
- stingy
- rubbishy
- shabby
- junky
- spare
- trashy
- sleazy
- mean
- bitchin'
- scurrilous
- niggardly
- low-rent
- low-grade
- skimp
- cut-rate
- villainous
- second-rate
- sham
- phony
- fake
- miscreant
- counterfeit
- phoney
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- adequate
- decent
- standard
- respectable
- satisfactory
- acceptable
- fine
- tolerable
- great
- passable
- excellent
- sufficient
- okay
- superior
- splendid
- stellar
- perfect
- better
- average
- prime
- special
- terrific
- superb
- grand
- superlative
- marvellous
- exceptional
- classical
- wonderful
- minimal
- marvelous
- divine
- top
- noble
- nifty
- classic
- sensational
- sterling
- heavenly
- premium
- mediocre
- mean
- exceptional
- neat
- fancy
- middling
- swell
- fabulous
- unsurpassed
- dandy
- choice
- slick
- banner
- capital
- fair
- all right
- worthy
- unexceptional
- keen
- supernal
- par excellence
- borderline
- suitable
- useful
- boss
- OK
- first-class
- crackerjack
- top-notch
- first-rate
- groovy
- bang-up
- high-test
- so-so
- satisfying
- jim-dandy
- tip-top
- high-grade
- gratifying
- A1
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
- vile
- nasty
- contemptible
- dirty
- ignominious
- ignoble
- wretched
- sordid
- execrable
- cruel
- low
- bad
- immoral
- base
- vicious
- dishonorable
- despicable
- corrupt
- snide
- mean
- detestable
- low-minded
- low-down
- evil
- iniquitous
- currish
- wrong
- atrocious
- wicked
- shameful
- foul
- unworthy
- disgraceful
- reprehensible
- debased
- miscreant
- censurable
- villainous
- perverted
- dissolute
- depraved
- disreputable
- blameworthy
- degenerate
- unscrupulous
- discreditable
- unprincipled
- debauched
- blamable
- unethical
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- high
- lofty
- noble
- honorable
- good
- excellent
- decent
- venerable
- respectable
- virtuous
- straight
- just
- moral
- scrupulous
- proper
- honest
- commendable
- upright
- ethical
- exemplary
- right
- righteous
- seemly
- high-minded
- reputable
- right-minded
- principled
- guiltless
- blameless
- irreproachable
- unerring
- incorruptible
- uncorrupted
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
- nominal
- slight
- measly
- tiny
- piddling
- piffling
- petty
- trifling
- piddly
- inconsiderable
- insignificant
- trivial
- negligible
- inconsequential
- minute
- footling
- niggling
- peanut
- picayune
- pimping
- de minimis
- chicken
- puny
- no-account
- little
- inappreciable
- imperceptible
- Mickey Mouse
- inferior
- quibbling
- mean
- pettifogging
- nitpicking
- hairsplitting
- small-fry
- two-bit
- one-horse
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- considerable
- significant
- substantial
- big
- important
- serious
- remarkable
- material
- outstanding
- noteworthy
- momentous
- consequential
- weighty
- conspicuous
- striking
- appreciable
- pivotal
- prominent
- measurable
- discernible
- eventful
- discernable
- self-exiled
- self-existence
- self-existences
- self-existent
- self-experience
- self-explaining
- self-explanatory
- self-exploration
- self-explorations
- self-expression
- self-expressive
- self-extinction
- self-extinctions
- self-faced
- self-fed
- self-feed
- self-feeder
- self-feeding
- self-feeling
- self-fer
- self-fertile
- self-fertility
- self-fertilization
- self-fertilize
- self-finance