paltry
pronunciation
How to pronounce paltry in British English:
UK [ˈpɔ:ltri]
How to pronounce paltry in American English:
US [ˈpɔltri]
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- Adjective:
- not worth considering
- contemptibly small in amount
Word Origin
- paltry (adj.)
- 1560s, probably an adjectival use of noun paltry "worthless thing" (1550s), associated with dialectal palt, pelt "trash," cognate with Middle Low German and East Frisian palte "rag," Middle Dutch palt "broken or torn fragment." Similar formation in Low German paltrig "rubbishy," East Frisian palterig "ragged, torn."
Example
- 1. Although public investment has risen , it remains paltry .
- 2. Bilateral trade between the neighbours is paltry .
- 3. John mccain , mr obama 's rival for the presidency , wants to suspend america 's relatively paltry tax on petrol , to secure lower prices for angry drivers .
- 4. The appetite for gold arises partly from the paltry , uncertain returns from more conventional investments .
- 5. But such safe alternatives as bonds or money market accounts offer only paltry returns .