Link Centre Dictionary

paltry

UK/ˈpɒltɹi/ US/ˈpɔːltɹi/ uncommon

adjective

1.

sufficient to provide comfort

  • “a comfortable salary”
Synonyms
Similar
2.

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”
Synonyms
Similar

Origin

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.

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.