Measly describes an amount that's disappointingly small or pathetically inadequate. When your little brother offers you a measly two dollars to do his chores for a week, he's offering far less than the work is worth. When a restaurant serves a measly portion of fries, you're left staring at just a few lonely pieces on your plate.

The word carries a sense of contempt or scorn. It means insultingly small or ridiculously insufficient. A measly allowance might be fifty cents when your friends get five dollars. A measly three points on a test you studied hard for can feel deeply unfair.

You might also use measly to express frustration about your own limitations: “I only saved a measly ten dollars this month” shows disappointment in yourself. When something is measly, it's inadequate to the point of being almost offensive in how little it offers.