different between paltry vs modest

English

Alternative forms

• (obsolete) paultry, paultrie, palterey

Etymology

From Middle Low German paltrig (“ragged, rubbishy, worthless”), from palter, palte (“cloth, rag, shred”), from Old Saxon *paltro, *palto (“cloth, rag”), from Proto-Germanic *paltrô, *paltô (“scrap, rag, patch”). Cognate with Low German palterig (“ragged, torn”), dialectal German palterig (“paltry”). Compare also Low German palte (“rag”), West Frisian palt (“rag”), Saterland Frisian Palte (“strip; band; tape”), dialectal German Palter (“rag”), Danish pjalt (“rag, tatter”), Swedish palta (“rag”). See also palterly.

Pronunciation

• (Canada) IPA^(key): /?p?lt?i/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /?p?lt?i/, /?p??lt?i/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?p?lt?i/, /?p?lt?i/

Adjective

paltry (comparative paltrier, superlative paltriest)

1. Trashy, trivial, of little value.

   Synonyms: insignificant, unimportant, petty, trivial
2. Of little monetary worth.

   Synonyms: meager, worthless, pitiful, trifling
3. Despicable

   A paltry coward.

Usage notes

• Nouns to which "paltry" is often applied: sum, rate, amount, number, price, salary, wages, fellow, pay, excuse, income, gain, compensation.

Derived terms

• paltriness

Translations

Anagrams

• partly, raptly

English

Etymology

From Middle French modeste, from Latin modestus

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?m?d?st/

Adjective

modest (comparative more modest or modester, superlative most modest or modestest)

1. Not bragging or boasting about oneself or one's achievements; unpretentious, humble.
2. Small, moderate in size.

3. Pure and delicate from a sense of propriety.

4. (especially of behaviour or clothing) Intending to avoid the encouraging of sexual attraction in others.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:humble
• See also Thesaurus:intermediate
• See also Thesaurus:small

Antonyms

• immodest

Derived terms

• modest proposal
• modesty

Translations

Anagrams

• domets

Albanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /m?d?st/

Adjective

modest m (feminine modeste)

1. modest

Derived terms

• modesti

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin modestus.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic) IPA^(key): /mo?d?st/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /mu?d?st/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /mo?dest/

Adjective

modest (feminine modesta, masculine plural modests or modestos, feminine plural modestes)

1. modest

   Antonym: immodest

Derived terms

• modestament

Related terms

• immodest
• modèstia

Further reading

• “modest” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “modest” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “modest” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “modest” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mo?dest/

Adjective

modest m or n (feminine singular modest?, masculine plural mode?ti, feminine and neuter plural modeste)

1. modest