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
On the other end, Chicago only has a 34% chance of snow while New Yorkers have a measly 13% chance of a white Christmas this year.
—
Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
The Preds have the worst record in the entire league, with a measly 20 points.
—Nate Rau, Axios, 13 Dec. 2024
The Jonathan that Nancy brought to the page no longer exists; neither does her version of Catherine — a femme fatale conjured from a measly roll of boudoir photos.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024
That's down from last year's record-setting $12.2 billion, but way up from the measly $7-$9 billion Americans spent between 2014-2020.
—Karri Peifer, Axios, 30 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for measly
Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
The Preds have the worst record in the entire league, with a measly 20 points.
—Nate Rau, Axios, 13 Dec. 2024
The Jonathan that Nancy brought to the page no longer exists; neither does her version of Catherine — a femme fatale conjured from a measly roll of boudoir photos.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024
That's down from last year's record-setting $12.2 billion, but way up from the measly $7-$9 billion Americans spent between 2014-2020.
—Karri Peifer, Axios, 30 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for measly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for measly
Adjective
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Howe used four different left-backs last term, mainly fielding Dan Burn there (a nominal centre-back at 6ft 7in/201cm), while Newcastle were the most one-sided team in the league for crosses — over 60 per cent came from the right.—
Liam Tharme,
The Athletic,
24 Feb. 2025
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Out of all of the foreign investment sources that have pumped cash into South Florida real estate, financial institutions, and new businesses over the years, Saudi Arabia is a nation that at best has a nominal presence in the region.—
David Lyons,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The bill released Saturday will fund the government through Sept. 30 and provide a slight boost to defense spending while making a moderate cut to non-defense programs.—
Deirdre Walsh,
NPR,
8 Mar. 2025
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Sugarcane honey is a concentrated form of sugarcane juice that has a slight licorice taste and a touch of bitterness.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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For those who need fast storage on the go, the Samsung Portable T7 SSD is tiny, secure, and now 25% off!—
Shubham Yewale,
PCMAG,
5 Mar. 2025
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The indie retailer is partnering up with Mattel to debut a limited-edition line of clothing and accessories inspired by the tiny doll.—
Hannah Malach,
WWD,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Rodgers didn't have a terrible year per se, but the Jets ended the season with a paltry 5-12 record.—
Tommy Tuberville,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
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The Namib desert is thought of as the only true desert in southern Africa due to its limited annual rainfall, a paltry 2-200 milliliters a year.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes,
6 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Measly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/measly. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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