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Definition of "measly" []

  • Slang Contemptibly small; meager: gave the parking attendant a measly tip. (adjective)
  • Infected with measles. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "measly" in a sentence
  • "The doctor returned to the captain, and said, "that there was no doubt but that the pig was measly, which was a complaint very frequent on board ships, particularly in hot climates, where all pork became _measly_ -- one great reason for its there proving so unwholesome.""
  • "The media has constantly focused, and Wall Street has been very happy about this focus, on this measly-and I say "measly" - $700 billion worth of TARP money that Congress allowed to be allocated last October."
  • "You just don't call a measly step or even two on a legend nicknamed "Air" any more than you call Barry Bonds, reputed to have the best eye at the plate in baseball, out on strikes on a borderline pitch."