PALTRY - Definition & Meaning for Kids
Meaning 1
Part of speech: Adjective (satellite)
contemptibly small in amount
Example: a measly tip; the company donated a miserable $100 for flood relief; a paltry wage; almost depleted his miserable store of dried beans
Meaning 2
Part of speech: Adjective (satellite)
not worth considering
Example: he considered the prize too paltry for the lives it must cost; piffling efforts; a trifling matter
Synonyms
🌱 Word Origin (Etymology)
The word "paltry" comes from Proto-Germanic *paltrô. It started in Old Saxon *paltro. Then it appeared in Middle Low German paltrig. Many other languages have similar words:.
- Low German: palterig
- German: palterig
- Low German: palte
- West Frisian: palt
- Saterland Frisian: Palte
- German: Palter
- Danish: pjalt
- Swedish: palta
🔗 Related Words
palterly – A related word in the same word family.
🧩 Fun Fact
Proto-Indo-European roots connect English to languages as distant as Hindi, Russian, and Persian.