as in nominal
so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention
offered her guest only one measly cookie
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Recent Examples of measly
The answer ultimately lies in the inverted pyramid’s layout, a bright red steak and giant stick of butter prominently featured above a measly sliver of whole grains.
—
Tania Fabo, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
Not when All-Pro cornerback Quinyon Mitchell’s two interceptions only yielded a field goal in a measly exchange rate that would infuriate any economist.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
What was she supposed to do after that, write a bunch of measly recipes?
—Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2025
Northwestern had 150 total yards and 10 points in the first quarter, while Minnesota had five measly yards and zero points.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 22 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for measly
Tania Fabo, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
Not when All-Pro cornerback Quinyon Mitchell’s two interceptions only yielded a field goal in a measly exchange rate that would infuriate any economist.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
What was she supposed to do after that, write a bunch of measly recipes?
—Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2025
Northwestern had 150 total yards and 10 points in the first quarter, while Minnesota had five measly yards and zero points.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 22 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for measly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for measly
Adjective
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And, in the end, none of the aforementioned might be available except for Ja Morant, who might be only a nominal upgrade, if that.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
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Companies provide most of the capital; Pegasus contributes a nominal share for compliance reasons and manages the investments.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The Knicks are slight favorites to win Game 4, and a win would flip things back around.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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If your car is equipped with front radar or driver‑assist features, dirt on the sensor or slight misalignment from a parking‑lot bump could also be the culprit.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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What last Friday’s 5-0 win away to Sunderland might have done for Pereira is give him just a tiny bit more freedom; the opportunity to go slightly stronger with his team selections in these two games against Villa, either side of a still-vital trip to Chelsea on Monday.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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The technique used to measure the singularities’ velocity could open the door to studying other tiny, fast phenomena in physics, chemistry and biology—or perhaps to find new ways to encode quantum information in materials, according to the researchers.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The other candidates in the races have raised sums that are paltry in comparison to Bera and Hall.—
Ariane Lange,
Sacbee.com,
21 Apr. 2026
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Ultimately, their preferred candidate, a moderate, prevailed, but Jude said that he is disappointed with the new administration’s policies, which have cut already paltry funding for public education.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Measly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/measly. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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