measly

Meanings

1. 1adjectivebefore a nouninformaldisapproving

   So small or poor in amount that it seems insulting or hardly worth having.

   Grammar: Used before a noun to complain: a measly ten dollars. It is not usual after a verb.

   Patterns

   • a measly amount of something
   • a measly N

   He paid us a measly ten dollars for a full day's work.

   All I got for my birthday was a measly card.

   The shop offered a measly discount after I complained.

2. 2adjectivebefore a nouninformaldisapproving

   Stingy or unwilling to give, as in a measly offer.

   Grammar: Often modifies words for payment or portions.

   Patterns

   • a measly offer

   They made a measly offer that no one accepted.

   What a measly portion of soup for such a high price!

   The manager gave a measly excuse and walked away.

Word forms

Common combinations

measly amount

They gave us a measly amount of food.

measly pay

The job came with measly pay.

measly dollars

He sold his old guitar for a few measly dollars.

measly portion

I got a measly portion of fries.

measly bonus

Employees got a measly bonus this year.

Synonyms and how they differ

paltry

Paltry is more formal and describes an amount so small as to be worthless, while measly is informal and sounds more resentful.

meager

Meager is neutral and describes a small or poor amount, without the complaining tone that measly has.

stingy

Stingy describes a person unwilling to give, whereas measly usually describes the amount given.

puny

Puny suggests weakness and small size, as in a puny effort, rather than a disappointing sum.

Opposites

Word family

measles noun

an infectious disease with red spots, the source of measly

measliness noun

the quality of being measly

measlily adverb

in a stingy or tiny way, a rare form

Commonly confused: measly or measles?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “measly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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