paltry

Summary

Overview

Episode Theme:
This episode of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day (December 9, 2025) focuses on the adjective "paltry." Host Peter Sokolowski delves into its definitions, origins, historical usage, and provides context for how the word is used today.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Definition and Usage

• Spelling: P-A-L-T-R-Y
• Meaning:
  • "Paltry" is a formal adjective.
  • It describes something very small or too small in amount, or something with little meaning, importance, or worth.
  • Example from lithub.com (Ed Simon):
    • "When the witty and wry English fantasy novelist Terry Pratchett interviewed Bill Gates for GQ in 1995, only 39% of Americans had access to a home computer, according to the Pew Research Center. The number who were connected to the Internet was a paltry 14%." [00:30]

Etymology and Historical Context

• Obsolete Noun Form:

  • "Paltry" began as a noun meaning "trash," no longer in use today.
  • It derived from "palt" or "pelt"—a dialect term for a piece of coarse cloth or, more generally, trash. [00:56]

• Adjective Evolution:

  • The adjective "paltry" dates to the mid-16th century.
  • It originally described things considered worthless or of very low quality.
  • Over centuries, "paltry" acquired multiple derogatory meanings, none complimentary. [01:09]

Practical Examples

• In Everyday Contexts:
  • "A paltry house might be neglected and unfit for occupancy."
  • "A paltry trick is a trick that is low down and dirty."
  • "A paltry excuse is a poor one, and a paltry sum is small and insufficient." [01:17]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Definition in use:

  "The number who were connected to the Internet was a paltry 14%." — Ed Simon, quoted by Peter Sokolowski [00:30]

• On the word's evolution:

  "Before paltry was an adjective, it was a noun meaning trash. That now obsolete noun came from palt or pelt, a dialect term referring to a piece of coarse cloth, or, more broadly, to trash." — Peter Sokolowski [00:56]

• Describing the various uses:

  "A paltry house might be neglected and unfit for occupancy. A paltry trick is a trick that is low down and dirty. A paltry excuse is a poor one, and a paltry sum is small and insufficient." — Peter Sokolowski [01:17]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:12 — Introduction of "paltry" with spelling and definition
• 00:30 — Usage example: Internet adoption in 1995
• 00:56 — Historical origin of the word
• 01:09 — The word’s shift over time and negative nuance
• 01:17 — Everyday illustrative examples

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Additional Resources

For more definitions, wordplay, and trending lookups, listeners are encouraged to visit merriamwebster.com.

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Tone:
The episode remains educational, concise, and friendly, with Peter Sokolowski’s trademark conversational and informative style. The focus is on enriching vocabulary with context and history, making "paltry" memorable and useful for listeners.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign.

It's the Word of the Day podcast for December 9th.

Today's Word is paltry, spelled P A L T R Y. Paltry is an adjective. It's a formal word that can describe something that is very small or too small in amount, or something that has little meaning, importance or or worth. Here's the word used in a sentence from lithub.com by Ed Simon when the witty and wry English fantasy novelist Terry Pratchett interviewed Bill Gates For GQ in 1995, only 39% of Americans had access to a home computer, according to the Pew Research Center. The number who were connected to the Internet was a paltry 14%. Before paltry was an adjective, it was a noun meaning trash. That now obsolete noun came from palt or pelt, a dialect term referring to a piece of coarse cloth, or, more broadly, to trash. The adjective paltry, which dates to the mid 16th century, originally described things considered worthless or of very low quality. But it's gained a number of meanings over the centuries, none of which are complementary. A paltry house might be neglected and unfit for occupancy. A paltry trick is a trick that is low down and dirty. A paltry excuse is a poor one, and a paltry sum is small and insufficient. With your word of the day, I'm Peter Sokolowski.

Visit merriamwebster.com today for definitions, wordplay and trending Word lookups.