Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Lacking in importance or worth. synonym: trivial.
- adjective Very small or inadequate in amount; negligible.
- adjective Marked by meanness or lack of generosity; contemptible.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Mean; worthless; despicable: as, a paltry trifle; often in a mitigated sense, of little value of consequence.
- Synonyms Despicable, Pitiful, etc. (see
contemptible ), insignificant, petty, miserable, wretched, trifling, trivial. - noun A wretched, worthless trifle.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Mean; vile; worthless; despicable; contemptible; pitiful; trifling
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective
trashy ,trivial , of little value - adjective
meager ;worthless ;pitiful ;trifling
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective not worth considering
- adjective contemptibly small in amount
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Haughty, proud, and uncompromising, though neither destitute of honor nor generosity, he despised and hated what he termed the paltry associations of herdsmen and shepherds, united with a few towns which subsisted chiefly by commerce; and instead of courting the Helvetian
Anne of Geierstein 2008
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I listened to Ebenezer Ato Sam aka Baby Ansaba on myjoyonline. com on 2nd February 2010 and I must say that he is an archetypal example of what gutter Accra are incensed over what they describe as paltry salaries and poor working conditions.
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I listened to Ebenezer Ato Sam aka Baby Ansaba on myjoyonline. com on 2nd February 2010 and I must say that he is an archetypal example of what gutter Accra are incensed over what they describe as paltry salaries and poor working conditions.
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Let us not fag in paltry works which serve our pot and bag alone.
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Let us not fag in paltry works which serve our pot and bag alone.
Archive 2008-11-01 2008
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As you know, of course, the U.S. being criticized for what some called a paltry and slow response to this humanitarian crisis.
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Boston, which was once again paltry on the power play.
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And then, you whine and fret for what you yourself call a paltry matter!
Raspberry Jam Carolyn Wells 1902
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Small societies of excluded lepers live miserably in paltry huts.
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The King County Council called their paltry recommendation a "political victory" for us.
brtom commented on the word paltry
Paltry funeral: coach and three carriages.
Joyce, Ulysses, 6
January 1, 2007