paltry
/ˈpɑltɹi/
Group 34Difficulty 1/3
Definition
- (adjective)
- Of a ridiculously small or meager amount; worthless GRE
Example in Context
The paltry compensation offered to the displaced residents was widely denounced as an insult to families who had lost everything.
Etymology
Derived from a Latin word meaning 'few', hence something that is meager or insignificant.
- paucus (Latin) — few
Memory Aid
🐔Sounds like “poultry”
If you think my salary is like POULTRY, you must be joking — it's so PALTRY I can barely buy a chicken!
Visual Association
💰A tiny coin sitting alone on a vast, empty table, representing a meager amount.
Semantic Clusters
Synonym Groups
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “paltry” mean on the GRE?
paltry (adjective) means “Of a ridiculously small or meager amount; worthless”. The paltry compensation offered to the displaced residents was widely denounced as an insult to families who had lost everything.
How to remember “paltry” for the GRE?
Mnemonic: “paltry” sounds like “poultry”. If you think my salary is like POULTRY, you must be joking — it's so PALTRY I can barely buy a chicken!