Word
paltry
Phoneticspal·try, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈpɔɫtɹi/
UK/pˈɔːltɹi/
Definition
adj. extremely small or not worth much. You use this to show that something is much less than you expected or needed.
adj. extremely small in amount, value, or importance. Often used to express a sense of disappointment or to emphasize a lack of substance.
Examples
“The reward for winning was paltry.”
“The company offered a paltry sum of money for the patent, which the inventor refused to accept.”
“The government's response to the crisis was paltry, failing to address the underlying structural issues that had led to the initial collapse in the first place.”
Examples
simple
“The reward for winning was paltry.”
contextual
“The company offered a paltry sum of money for the patent, which the inventor refused to accept.”
complex
“The government's response to the crisis was paltry, failing to address the underlying structural issues that had led to the initial collapse in the first place.”
Real-World Examples
“You only need to look around at the paltry nods to accessibility in our public spaces or the degrading assessments of people seeking to claim disability benefits.” “A pretty paltry sum, even by the standards of the day—but that was the nature of the law.” Etymology
From Middle Low German paltrig (“ragged, rubbishy, worthless”), from palter, palte (“cloth, rag, shred”), from Old Saxon paltro, palto (“cloth, rag”), from Proto-Germanic paltrô, paltô (“scrap, rag, patch”). Of uncertain ultimate origin, but perhaps from Proto-Indo-European polto- (“cloth”), see also Proto-Slavic poltьno (“linen”). Cognate with Low German palterig (“ragged, torn”), dialectal German palterig (“paltry”). Compare also Low German palte (“rag”), West Frisian palt (“rag”), Saterland Frisian Palte (“strip; band; tape”), dialectal German Palter (“rag”), Danish pjalt (“rag, tatter”), Swedish palta (“rag”). See also palterly and pelting.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/paltry