miserly

adjective

mi·​ser·​ly ˈmī-zər-lē 

: of, relating to, or characteristic of a miser

especially : marked by grasping meanness and penuriousness

The team's miserly owner refused to buy new equipment.

miserliness noun

Synonyms

• cheap
• chintzy
• close
• closefisted
• mean
• mingy
• niggard
• niggardly
• parsimonious
• penny-pinching
• penurious
• pinching
• pinchpenny
• spare
• sparing
• stingy
• stinting
• tight
• tightfisted
• uncharitable
• ungenerous

Choose the Right Synonym for miserly

stingy, close, niggardly, parsimonious, penurious, miserly mean being unwilling or showing unwillingness to share with others.

stingy implies a marked lack of generosity.

a stingy child, not given to sharing

close suggests keeping a tight grip on one's money and possessions.

folks who are very close when charity calls

niggardly implies giving or spending the very smallest amount possible.

the niggardly amount budgeted for the town library

parsimonious suggests a frugality so extreme as to lead to stinginess.

a parsimonious lifestyle notably lacking in luxuries

penurious implies niggardliness that gives an appearance of actual poverty.

the penurious eccentric bequeathed a fortune

miserly suggests a sordid avariciousness and a morbid pleasure in hoarding.

a miserly couple devoid of social conscience

Examples of miserly in a Sentence

He was given a miserly raise.

my brother, who is notoriously miserly, surprised us when he offered to pick up the tab

Recent Examples on the Web

Smart Care can free up valuable storage space, an important function considering most Macs come with miserly amounts of storage. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024

Sneak-peek images of the one-time-only giveaway souvenirs had quickly been met with ridicule online for their ultra-minimalist design — seen by some as one last miserly indignity directed at a loyal fanbase. —Laurence Miedema, The Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2024

This time, the hull (again with aluminum caps) reached the equivalent of 4,500 meters before imploding, giving it a miserly 1.18 safety factor for any dives to Titanic depths. —Mark Harris, WIRED, 11 June 2024

Arizona should be ashamed of our miserly funding of schools. —Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 12 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

miserly

adjective

mi·​ser·​ly ˈmī-zər-lē 

: of, relating to, or characteristic of a miser

miserliness noun