Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Contemptibly small in amount or size; meager: Describes something so small or insignificant in quantity or value that it is considered worthless or deserving of contempt.
   • Trivial, worthless, or of little importance: Describes something that is not worth serious consideration due to its lack of significance or quality.

Usage and Examples

• Describing an amount of money:
  • The company offered a paltry sum as compensation for the accident.
  • He was paid a paltry wage for such demanding work.
• Describing something insignificant or trivial:
  • She dismissed his argument as a paltry excuse.
  • After all that effort, the results were paltry.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• "paltry" vs. "small": While "small" is neutral, "paltry" carries a strong negative connotation of being disappointingly or insultingly insufficient.
  • A small donation (neutral).
  • A paltry donation (implies the donation is insultingly small).
• Used to express scorn or criticism towards something considered inadequate.
  • The government's paltry response to the crisis angered many citizens.

Variants and Related Words

• Paltriness (noun): The state or quality of being paltry.
  • The paltriness of the offer was obvious to everyone.

Synonyms

• Meager: Lacking in quantity or quality.
• Measly: Ridiculously or contemptibly small.
• Miserable: Wretchedly inadequate.
• Trifling: Unimportant or trivial.
• Negligible: So small or unimportant as to be not worth considering.
• Pitiful: Deserving or arousing pity, often due to inadequacy.

Antonyms

• Substantial: Of considerable importance, size, or worth.
• Significant: Sufficiently great or important to be worthy of attention.
• Ample: Enough or more than enough; plentiful.
• Considerable: Notably large in size, amount, or extent.

Idiomatic Expressions

• "a paltry sum/excuse/effort": A common collocation emphasizing the insignificance of the noun it modifies.
  • He was fined a paltry sum, which did little to deter illegal behavior.
• While "paltry" itself is not typically part of phrasal verbs, it is frequently used in phrases that convey disdain for insufficiency.

Adjective

1. contemptibly small in amount
   • a measly tip
   • the company donated a miserable $100 for flood relief
   • a paltry wage
   • almost depleted his miserable store of dried beans
2. not worth considering
   • he considered the prize too paltry for the lives it must cost
   • piffling efforts
   • a trifling matter