measly

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈmiːzli/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈmizli/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(mē′zlē)

Inflections of 'measly' (adj):
measlier
adj comparative
measliest
adj superlative

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
mea•sly /ˈmizli/USA pronunciation   adj., -sli•er, -sli•est. 
  1. so little or small as to be inadequate:a measly salary.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
mea•sly  (mē′zlē),USA pronunciation adj., -sli•er, -sli•est. 
  1. Informal Terms
    • contemptibly small, meager, or slight:They paid me a measly fifteen dollars for a day's work.
    • wretchedly bad or unsatisfactory:a measly performance.
  2. infected with measles, as an animal or its flesh.
  3. pertaining to or resembling measles.
  • measl(es) + -y1 1680–90

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
measly /ˈmiːzlɪ/ adj ( -slier, -sliest)
  1. informal meagre in quality or quantity
  2. (of meat) measled
  3. having or relating to measles
Etymology: 17th Century: see measles
'measly' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
measled

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