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the hotel's shabby, outdated exercise room was its paltry attempt at a health spa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
This season, in 53 games, Harris has a .223 batting average with three home runs and a paltry .255 on-base percentage.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 29 May 2025
Things haven’t been much better in Manchester, who start the match week at a paltry 16th.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 21 May 2025
His batting average was a paltry .213, with a .249 on-base percentage and 44 strikeouts.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 21 May 2025
The 3-hour and 1-minute film’s opening weekend generated a paltry $11 million in domestic ticket sales from June 28-30, 2024, which then plunged to $5.3 million in its second weekend frame.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for paltry
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Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 29 May 2025
Things haven’t been much better in Manchester, who start the match week at a paltry 16th.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 21 May 2025
His batting average was a paltry .213, with a .249 on-base percentage and 44 strikeouts.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 21 May 2025
The 3-hour and 1-minute film’s opening weekend generated a paltry $11 million in domestic ticket sales from June 28-30, 2024, which then plunged to $5.3 million in its second weekend frame.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 19 May 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 Jun. 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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