meagre sum

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "meagre sum" is correct and can be used in written English.
It means a small or insufficient amount of money. Example: Despite working long hours, she only earned a meagre sum which barely covered her basic expenses.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

How eerily similar every whistleblower's story is – bought for a meagre sum for the Jeremy Kyle Show, to josh at, for a moment of moral superiority, disguised as entertainment.

The Guardian - Opinion

Accepting this heady combination of uncertain food quality, a lack of variety and little enjoyment, it may well be possible to physically sustain a family of four people on the meagre sum of £50 a week.

The Guardian - Money

This is a meagre sum, it is true; but since they do not own the land and most of them have jobs in the private factories, they are not complaining.

The Economist

A report published on November 30th by another credit-rating agency, Moody's, calculates that of the 47 foreign insurance outfits in China in 2010, only 11 made a profit (and even that was generally a meagre sum).

The Economist

In 2004, he began filming with a meagre sum of USD 20000 provided by his mother Latha Domalpalli, the eventual film producer.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

The pioneers underestimated the costs of decommissioning, and the meagre sums put aside for this were further diluted during privatisation, says Malcolm Grimston of Chatham House, a think-tank.Mismanagement has probably made a tough job more difficult.

The Economist

ARGUMENTS about money are always tiresome, particularly when the sums are meagre.

The Economist

There is only meagre evidence on aggregate effects and on deadweight loss, substitution or displacement effects.

IZA Journal of Labor Policy

The amount is almost $2 billion more than its total profits last year and a staggering sum compared with the relatively meagre $667m that Standard Chartered, a British bank, paid in 2012 for similar offenses, albeit on a smaller scale.

The Economist

Regardless, the amount is too meagre as to create an entrepreneurial "spark".

Huffington Post

Each asylum seeker in Britain gets a meagre £36.95 to live on (and they are not usually allowed to work to supplement this sum).

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "meagre sum" to express not just a small amount, but also the inadequacy of that amount for a specific purpose or need. It implies disappointment or insufficiency.

Common error

Avoid using "meagre sum" when you simply want to state a small amount without implying that it's inadequate. Opt for alternatives like "small amount" or "modest sum" if the inadequacy isn't the main point.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "meagre sum" functions as a noun phrase, where "meagre" acts as an adjective modifying the noun "sum". Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and its use to describe an amount of money.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Wiki

20%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "meagre sum" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe an amount of money that is disappointingly small or insufficient. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's most frequently encountered in News & Media contexts and carries a neutral tone with a hint of negativity. While not extremely common, it's a useful expression when you want to emphasize the inadequacy of an amount. Remember to consider alternatives like "paltry sum" or "small amount" depending on the desired nuance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

paltry sum

Replaces "meagre" with "paltry", emphasizing the insignificance of the amount.

small amount

Uses a more general term "amount" instead of "sum", simplifying the expression.

insignificant sum

Replaces "meagre" with "insignificant", highlighting the lack of importance of the amount.

modest sum

Substitutes "meagre" with "modest", softening the negative connotation.

limited sum

Focuses on the restriction implied by the small amount, rather than its inadequacy.

scant amount

Uses "scant" to convey the idea of barely sufficient quantity, similar to "meagre".

tiny amount

Replaces "meagre sum" with a more colloquial expression "tiny amount".

trifling sum

Substitutes "meagre" with "trifling", indicating the amount is so small it's not worth considering.

inadequate funds

Shifts the focus to the availability of funds rather than specifying a sum.

insufficient funds

Similar to inadequate funds, but more formal.

FAQs

How can I use "meagre sum" in a sentence?

You can use "meagre sum" to describe an amount of money that is disappointingly small or insufficient for a particular purpose. For example: "Despite working overtime, he only received a "meagre sum" for his efforts."

What's a more common phrase than "meagre sum"?

While "meagre sum" is grammatically correct, phrases like "small amount" or "modest sum" are more frequently used in general writing.

What words are similar in meaning to "meagre"?

Words with similar meanings to "meagre" include "paltry", "scant", and "insufficient". You can substitute these depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "meagre sum" appropriate for formal writing?

"Meagre sum" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts, although in very formal or business writing, you might consider alternatives like "limited funds" or "inadequate resources".