Paltry
Worth very little; meager or petty.
adjectivePaltry
Worth very little; meager or petty.
adjectiveImagine This
When poultry is not kept refrigerated, it will turn bad and become worthless.
Sounds Like
PAWL-tree
Looks Like
Looks like poultry in spelling; shares most of the same letters
Remember This
Paltry describes something small or inadequate in amount or quality (e.g., a paltry sum or paltry excuses).
Other Forms
Connect With
meager, scant, trifling, negligible, insignificant
Note
Paltry is used for things that are disappointingly small or insufficient. Do not confuse with similar-sounding words or with 'poultry' (the birds).
Study Deeper
- The charity collected only a paltry amount.
- Her paltry excuses could not justify the delay.
From Middle English paltrie, from Old French paltrier (to bargain; trifling). The exact origin is uncertain, but the sense evolved to describe something of little value or importance.
PALTRY: PAL (friend) + TRY — a friend's attempt that yields only a small amount; a paltry effort.
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Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Meager
adjectiveDeficient in quantity or quality; not enough; lacking in fullness or richness.
Negligible
adjectiveSo small or unimportant as to be not worth considering; nearly negligible.
Abstruse
adjectiveDifficult to understand; obscure or highly complex.
Accidental
adjectiveHappening by chance or without deliberate planning; not intended. In music, it is also a noun for a symbol that temporarily alters a pitch.
Acerbic
adjectiveSharp or biting in tone or taste; caustic or mordant in manner.
Acquiescent
adjectiveReady to agree or approve without protest; compliant.