The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word MEASLIER
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
M
E
A
S
L
I
E
R
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "more paltry" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case more paltry = measlier.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does MEASLIER mean?
MEASLIER adjective- Particularly of pigs or pork: infected with larval tapeworms or trichinae (parasitic roundworms).
- Of a person: infected with measles.
- Small (especially contemptibly small) in amount.