MEASLY

measly, miserable, paltry

(adjective) contemptibly small in amount; “a measly tip”; “the company donated a miserable $100 for flood relief”; “a paltry wage”; “almost depleted his miserable store of dried beans”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Adjective

measly (comparative measlier, superlative measliest)

Particularly of pigs or pork: infected with larval tapeworms or trichinae (parasitic roundworms). [from late 16th c.]

Of a person: infected with measles.

(figuratively, informal) Small (especially contemptibly small) in amount. [from mid 19th c.]

Synonyms: miserable, paltry, trifling

Anagrams

• Lameys, Lemays, Maleys, Mayles, Mealys, amyles, samely, yealms

Source: Wiktionary


Mea"sly, a.

1. Infected with measles.

2. (Zoöl.)

Definition: Containing larval tapeworms; -- said of pork and beef.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

29 May 2025

CRITICAL

(adjective) characterized by careful evaluation and judgment; “a critical reading”; “a critical dissertation”; “a critical analysis of Melville’s writings”


coffee icon

Coffee Trivia

An article published in Harvard Men’s Health Watch in 2012 shows heavy coffee drinkers live longer. The researchers examined data from 400,000 people and found out that men who drank six or more coffee cups per day had a 10% lower death rate.

coffee icon