paltrinesses
tri adjective, pal·tri·er, pal·tri·est.
1.
ridiculously or insultingly small: a paltry sum.
2.
utterly worthless.
3.
mean or contemptible: a paltry coward.
Origin:
1560–70; < Low German paltrig ragged, equivalent to *palter rag (dialectal German Palter) + -ig -y1
1560–70; < Low German paltrig ragged, equivalent to *palter rag (dialectal German Palter) + -ig -y1
Related forms
pal·tri·ly, adverb
pal·tri·ness, noun
un·pal·try, adjective
Antonyms
1. important, major.
1. important, major.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To paltrinesses
00:10
Paltrinesses
is always a great word to know.
So is interrobang. Does it mean:
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
paltry (ˈpɔːltrɪ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj , -trier, -triest | |
| 1. | insignificant; meagre |
| 2. | worthless or petty |
| [C16: from Low Germanic palter, paltrig ragged] | |
| 'paltrily | |
| —adv | |
| 'paltriness | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
paltry
1570, probably adj. use of noun paltry "worthless thing" (1556), associated with dial. palt, pelt "trash," cognate with M.L.G. and E.Fris. palte "rag," M.Du. palt "broken or torn fragment." Cf. Low Ger. paltrig "rubbishy," E.Fris. palterig "ragged, torn."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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