Paltry

medium

PAWL-tree

adjective

Definition

Small or meager; of little value or importance

Examples

“They offered him a paltry sum for his valuable antique.”
“Her paltry excuse didn't convince anyone.”

Synonyms

meagertrivialinsignificantnegligible

Antonyms

substantialconsiderablesignificantgenerous

Categories

InsignificanceScarcity

GRE Tip

Paltry is a medium-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "meager" or "trivial" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "substantial".

Related GRE Words

scant

Barely sufficient or adequate

sparse

Thinly dispersed or scattered; not dense

trivial

Of little value or importance

frivolous

Lacking seriousness or importance; trivial or unworthy of consideration

insufficient

Not enough; inadequate

meager

Lacking in quantity or quality; insufficient

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