measly

adjective

mea·​sly ˈmēz-lē How to pronounce measly (audio)
ˈmē-zə-
measlier; measliest
1
: infected with measles
2
a
: containing larval tapeworms
b
: infested with trichinae
3
: contemptibly small

Examples of measly in a Sentence

She complained about being given such a measly raise. All I want is a few measly minutes of your time.
Recent Examples on the Web Ten teams, two measly bids, and nothing better than a No. 8 seed. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 12 Feb. 2024 And while Democrats support raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour from the current rate of $7.25 an hour, the majority of Republicans are happy with Americans making a measly $7.25 wage and have blocked every attempt to increase it. Tom Zirpoli, Baltimore Sun, 9 Jan. 2024 While that might make a difference for small publishers, that’s a measly amount for bigger news sites, given the effect AI could have on the news industry. Rachyl Jones, Fortune, 4 Jan. 2024 Installing an awning can double your measly square footage and make your van even more livable. Cristina Moody, Washington Post, 21 Dec. 2023 In the emoji lexicon, the planet’s tens of thousands of tree species are reduced to four measly symbols: a palm, a cactus, a nondescript deciduous and an evergreen. Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2023 For a single dollar, that’s around eight measly cents per glazed doughnut—the sweetest deal around! Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 10 Dec. 2023 Step back, zoom out, stop clinging to your measly private past. Willing Davidson, The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2023 Those who did got an average of 22 more minutes of sleep per morning, on average, though extra sleep time ranged from one measly minute to a whopping 180 minutes. Byerin Prater, Fortune Well, 18 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'measly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of measly was in 1598

Dictionary Entries Near measly

Cite this Entry

“Measly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/measly. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

measly

adjective
mea·​sly ˈmēz-(ə-)lē How to pronounce measly (audio)
measlier; measliest
: so small or unimportant as to deserve scorn
left a measly nickel tip

Medical Definition

measly

adjective
mea·​sly ˈmēz-(ə-)lē How to pronounce measly (audio)
measlier; measliest
1
: infected with measles
2
a
: containing larval tapeworms
b
: infected with trichinae

More from Merriam-Webster on measly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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