Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective parsimonious contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of parsimonious are close, miserly, niggardly, penurious, and stingy. While all these words mean "being unwilling or showing unwillingness to share with others," parsimonious suggests a frugality so extreme as to lead to stinginess.

a parsimonious lifestyle notably lacking in luxuries

When could close be used to replace parsimonious?

While in some cases nearly identical to parsimonious, close suggests keeping a tight grip on one's money and possessions.

folks who are very close when charity calls

When is it sensible to use miserly instead of parsimonious?

The meanings of miserly and parsimonious largely overlap; however, miserly suggests a sordid avariciousness and a morbid pleasure in hoarding.

a miserly couple devoid of social conscience

Where would niggardly be a reasonable alternative to parsimonious?

While the synonyms niggardly and parsimonious are close in meaning, niggardly implies giving or spending the very smallest amount possible.

the niggardly amount budgeted for the town library

When would penurious be a good substitute for parsimonious?

The words penurious and parsimonious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, penurious implies niggardliness that gives an appearance of actual poverty.

the penurious eccentric bequeathed a fortune

In what contexts can stingy take the place of parsimonious?

In some situations, the words stingy and parsimonious are roughly equivalent. However, stingy implies a marked lack of generosity.

a stingy child, not given to sharing

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of parsimonious And sometimes the truest, most parsimonious explanation is just kind of boring. Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 11 Feb. 2024 That's probably why the recent program to observe the Crab emerged victorious in the stiff competition for JWST's precious observing time; the parsimonious prospect of solving two different mysteries with one set of observations is just the kind of thing scientists love. Phil Plait, Scientific American, 10 Nov. 2023 Serving Suggestions Giant cookies are, by nature, not meant for parsimonious consumption. Aleksandra Crapanzano, WSJ, 6 Dec. 2023 Hers was a parsimonious approach, leaving a good inch or inch-and-a-half of outer crust untouched by any ingredient. Tim Carman, Washington Post, 16 Oct. 2023 See all Example Sentences for parsimonious 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parsimonious
Adjective
  • Strategic owners may focus on growth, angels on early exits and VCs on IPOs, but these can align with careful planning.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
  • From general manager Kyle Davidson on down, the Blackhawks are always careful not to criticize Jones.
    Scott Powers, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The show finds Homer desperate to scrape together enough money to pay for a fun family Christmas after his miserly boss, Mr. Burns, cancelled the holiday bonus and Marge had to empty the piggy bank to remove a tattoo that Bart had gotten at the mall.
    Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
  • The book is a 92-page novel about Scrooge, a miserly man transformed into a better person after the ghost of Marley, his former partner, and three Spirits visit him on Christmas Eve and show him his past, present, and future.
    Jennifer Borresen, USA TODAY, 22 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Hill went rogue and selfish, again, by cryptically hinting a coach pulled him out of the game due to his left wrist injury.
    Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2025
  • But while his months of legal delaying actions enabled Trump to prevent the government from holding him legally responsible for his acts, Trump cannot escape moral responsibility for what may have been history’s singularly most selfish effort to flout the rules of American democracy.
    Carl Leubsdorf, The Mercury News, 4 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • How inflation is impacting America Are greedy companies to blame for grocery inflation?
    Juweek Adolphe, NPR, 14 Jan. 2025
  • Scanty sentences for these greedy big shots do little to deter crooked behavior in the future.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Every year, a complacent, tightfisted city council turned down the recommendations.
    Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2023
  • Kotick played the tightfisted owner of the Oakland A’s.
    Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 31 May 2023
Adjective
  • Steichen’s tight lips, Zaire Franklin’s podcast and an anonymous Colts player who voiced his frustrations to the media.
    James Boyd, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
  • In the immediate aftermath of the Chargers clinching their first playoff berth since 2022, the coach wrapped the general manager in a tight, two-armed hug in the locker room.
    Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • In the last two seasons, Texas has fielded one of the stingiest defenses in the country.
    Sam Khan Jr., The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
  • The Chargers authored the league’s stingiest defense in terms of points allowed (17.7 per game), and the recent return of J.K. Dobbins from a knee injury gives them an explosive option in a backfield that can also grind out tough yardage behind a stout offensive line.
    Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • But neither can anyone seriously accuse the United States of being ungenerous with its citizens’ lives and treasure or of having no ideals.
    Joshua Landis, Foreign Affairs, 19 Jan. 2016
  • This is the problem with the show: These women are just concocting reasons why the people on the other side suck, and it’s become the most uncharitable, the most ungenerous thing on Bravo.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 15 July 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Parsimonious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parsimonious. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

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