Pittance meaning in English

Learn how to use Pittance correctly with Gymglish.
Test and improve your English. Start your free trial today.

TEST YOUR ENGLISH Free trial and no commitment to buy

4,7 on App Store, Play Store and Trustpilot More than 8 million learners worldwide

Definition

a pittance: peanuts, a small amount of money, an inadequate payment noun

Examples

"Hordes of Mexican immigrants without papers are working for pittance on his estate."

Exercise 1

Mexican immigrants are working for pittance.

Select the sentence that is closest in meaning.

They are being treated as slaves.

They are doing the job just to pay the bills.

They are getting paid under the table.

They are receiving a tiny amount of money.

I don't know

Mexican immigrants are working for pittance.

Select the sentence that is closest in meaning.

They are being treated as slaves.

This is incorrect. A "slave" is a person forced to work for someone without being paid. The article is not suggesting that Mexican immigrants are being treated like slaves, but that their salaries are very small. Unlike "slaves", they do receive SOME money! Note that the term "slave" is now outdated, and can be offensive in some contexts.

They are doing the job just to pay the bills.

This is incorrect. To do a job "just to pay the bills" often means that the job is "uninteresting" or "boring". Although this may well be the case for the Mexican immigrants, this is not the correct meaning of the term "working for pittance".

They are getting paid under the table.

This is incorrect. Getting paid "under the table" or working on the "black market" is to work without declaring income so that taxation is avoided. It does not describe the meaning of the expression "working for pittance".

They are receiving a tiny amount of money.

This is correct. A "pittance" is a "tiny" or "meager" amount. The article says Mexican immigrants are "working for a pittance" (=a very small amount of money). Note we could also say "working for a pittance". Example: They paid me a pittance for my translation work: 20 euros and a free back-rub.

Still unsure of the best way to use 'Pittance'? Improve your English thanks to our online English lessons. We offer a free test as well as a free level assessment!

What our users say:

Pleasure

Victor (Cologne, Germany)

I enjoy doing my online English lessons. Only ten minutes daily are enough...Thank you!

Innovative

Marie (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

I love your innovative method which allows me to learn a new language and have fun at the same time!

Unique

Georges (San Francisco, USA)

Your method is unique! Your courses have helped me to progress and gain confidence during my travels.

Progress

Maya (Paris, France)

Gymglish has allowed me to improve my English. A daily routine I wouldn't miss for anything in the world!

More testimonials.

Test your English with Gymglish today and get a free level assessment

Absolutely free - no strings attached.

TEST YOUR ENGLISH