Meaning & use

pittance

noun·Advanced

A very small or inadequate amount of money, especially as payment for work.

See it in a sentence

He complained that the factory paid its workers a mere pittance for long hours.

The freelance writer earned a pittance compared to the value of her research.

A note on using this word

Pittance is almost always used to criticize how small a payment is, carrying a disapproving tone.

Words with a similar meaning

peanuts

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

fortune

Make it your own

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