paltry

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

There is no single, standard definition of middle class, or upper middle class, and what counts as a hefty income in one city can feel paltry in another.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Prisoners were allowed to slowly build up the paltry offerings of its libraries.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

"It's a paltry sum when you think about the number of households on heating oil," he said.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

“Years of narrow, large cap leadership have forced active investors into mega caps, leaving the average stock out in the cold — it’s 20% underweight, and owned by a paltry 10% of funds on average.”

From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026

It is a great distance to go to learn such paltry tricks.

From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine