Paltry

Pronunciation: /ˈpɔltri/

Definitions of paltry

adjective of small amount or value; insignificant

Example Sentences

A1 The paltry amount of money I had saved was not enough to buy a new phone.

A2 She was disappointed by the paltry selection of books at the library.

B1 The company offered a paltry salary for the position, so I decided not to accept the job.

B2 Despite his hard work, he was only given a paltry bonus at the end of the year.

C1 The paltry excuse he gave for being late was not convincing to his boss.

C2 The CEO's paltry attempt to address the company's issues only made things worse.

Examples of paltry in a Sentence

formal The paltry sum of money was not enough to cover the cost of the project.

informal I can't believe they only offered me a paltry amount for my car.

slang That tip was so paltry, I don't think I'll be coming back to this restaurant.

figurative His paltry attempts at fixing the situation only made things worse.

Grammatical Forms of paltry

• past tense: paltried
• plural: paltries
• comparative: paltrier
• superlative: paltriest
• present tense: paltry
• future tense: will be paltry
• perfect tense: has been paltry
• continuous tense: is being paltry
• singular: paltry
• positive degree: paltry
• infinitive: to paltry
• gerund: paltrying
• participle: paltried

Origin and Evolution of paltry

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Middle English

Story behind the word: The word 'paltry' originated from the Middle English word 'paltrin', which came from the Old French word 'paltre' meaning rag, tatter.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the meaning of 'paltry' evolved from referring to something ragged or worthless to describing something insignificant or of little value.