measly

comparative measlier · superlative measliest · alternative uncommon measley

1. Particularly of pigs or pork: infected with larval tapeworms or trichinae (parasitic roundworms).First known use late 16th c.

   Then take five or six apples, pick out the cores and fill up the holes thus made with flour of brimstone; stop up the holes and cast in the apples to the measly hog.

   1847, William Youatt, The Pig: A Treatise on the Breeds, Management, Feeding, and Medical Treatment, of Swine; with Directions for Salting Pork, and Curing Bacon and Hams, page 113

2. Of a person: infected with measles.

   A measly boy, he looked like a tramp, probably one of the street boys from the village, just walked up here and made himself at home, and when I told him to leave, he wouldn't.

   1902, The Epworth Herald

3. figurativelyinformalSmall (especially contemptibly small) in amount.First known use mid 19th c.

   For one whole day's work all I was given was twenty measly pounds.

   3 more examples

   The visiting tourists eagerly forked over a measly two dollars per group to their guides as payment for their services. This amount was measly sum to the givers, but a princely sum to the takers.

   2004, Richard Rizun, Ora, Trafford Publishing, →ISBN

   So it wasn't a hotel, as I said in my novel, just a measly motel. But to me it was like the First measly motel, and I remember laughing about the things I was saying straight from my unconscious to both his and God's ear.

   2010, Marylee Daniel Mitcham, Blacktime Song by Rosalie Wolfe, Strategic Book Publishing, →ISBN, page 127

   To date, I’ve come up with a measly list of about a dozen alternyms (reproduced below), so I invite readers to contribute their own in the comments section or via Twitter (longest alternym contest anyone?).

   2015 May 15, Adam Lewis, “As a grammarian contrarian, I love opposites. But what about alternyms?”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 23 Feb 2016

   Synonyms: miserable, paltry, trifling