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.

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

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

Another local, Gilberto Herrera, 67, works as a public employee and earns a paltry salary of less than one dollar a month.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

Any freelance journalist who finds herself despairing over the paltry rates that today’s assigning editors are offering might want to familiarize herself with Fanny Fern before her next negotiation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026

Natural population growth last year was a paltry 519,000, down from 1.1 million in 2017 and between 1.6 million and 1.9 million during the 2000s.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026

Grog had fared even worse, racing thirty-seven times before being claimed for a paltry $ 1,500.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand