PALTRY Meaning of PALTRY in English adj. (paltrier, paltriest) worthless, contemptible, trifling. paltriness n.[ 16th c.: f. paltry trash app. f. palt, pelt rubbish + -RY (cf. trumpery): cf. LG paltrig ragged ] Concise Oxford English dictionary. Краткий оксфордский словарь английского языка. 2012