Use 'derisory' when something is so small, it almost feels like an understatement or joke. They called his life's work a derisory endeavor.
Pro Tip 2/3
Expectation vs Reality
'Derisory' often highlights a disappointing discrepancy between what is expected and what is offered. Her inheritance was a derisory amount, far less than she anticipated.
Pro Tip 3/3
Almost Insulting
'Derisory' can imply that an offer is not just small but offensively so. The workers received a derisory pay raise proposal.