adj
measly
MEEZ-lee
adj
1
So small an amount that it seems insulting or inadequate.
"He tipped the waiter a measly two dollars on a hundred-dollar bill."
"All that work for a measly paycheck."
How to Use Measly
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDisappointingly small or stingy in amount.
When to use it
Informal and usually used to express annoyance at how little something is.
Common pairings
measly amount
measly sum
measly portion
Word Forms
measlier comparative, measliest superlative
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He tipped the waiter a _____ two dollars on a hundred-dollar bill.
Etymology
From measle (an old word for a skin blemish caused by measles or, in pigs, tapeworm cysts) plus -y; the sense shifted from "diseased/spotty" to "pathetically small".