pittances
Barely enough wages
Pittances is the plural of pittance, a very small or inadequate amount of money.
The word almost always appears with judgment attached—what someone receives is insufficient for the work done or the need at hand: They work long hours for pittances.
The singular often pairs with "a mere": She sold her life's work for a mere pittance.
Fixed periodic employment payment
- paycheckCompensation for labor
- earningsMoney gained from work
- stipendFixed regular payment
- remunerationPayment for work done
compensation · take-home · honorarium · allowance · fee · payment · wage · income
Insufficiency in amount
- scarcityInsufficiency of something needed
- inadequacyState of being insufficient
- paucityInsufficiency of amount
- shortageDeficient supply of necessities
dearth · deficiency · skimpiness · sparsity · slimness · thinness · exiguity · undersupply
Extreme poverty, lacking necessities
- hardshipSuffering from difficult circumstances
- penuryExtreme lack of money
- indigenceExtreme poverty, total want
- privationLack of necessities
want · neediness · impoverishment · squalor · pauperism · breadline · survival · barebones
Gifts to the destitute
- donationsGifts to organizations
- handoutsItems distributed freely
- benevolenceDisposition toward doing good
- almsgivingGiving to the needy
dole · relief · aid · benefaction · contributions · gifts · offerings · tithe
salary
Fixed periodic employment payment
remuneration · compensation · take-home · honorarium · allowance · fee · payment · wage · income · livelihood
meagerness
Insufficiency in amount
- scarcityInsufficiency of something needed
- inadequacyState of being insufficient
- paucityInsufficiency of amount
shortage · dearth · deficiency · skimpiness · sparsity · slimness · thinness · exiguity · undersupply · underfunding
destitution
Extreme poverty, lacking necessities
- hardshipSuffering from difficult circumstances
- penuryExtreme lack of money
- indigenceExtreme poverty, total want
privation · want · neediness · impoverishment · squalor · pauperism · breadline · survival · barebones · hand-to-mouth
alms
Gifts to the destitute
- donationsGifts to organizations
- handoutsItems distributed freely
- benevolenceDisposition toward doing good
almsgiving · dole · relief · aid · benefaction · contributions · gifts · offerings · tithe · poor box
pittancesbounties
Payments for capture
largesse · generous portions · abundance · plenty · munificence
pittancesfair wages
Reasonable compensation for labor
living wages · princely sums · golden parachutes · executive compensation