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

• selfish
• careful
• stingy
• greedy
• parsimonious
• tightfisted
• ungenerous
• tight
• close
• cheap
• penurious
• pinching
• mean
• uncharitable
• chintzy
• penny-pinching
• desirous
• sparing
• mingy
• economical
• spare

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

While there have been many fine adaptations of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Alastair Sim's performance as the miserly, penny-pinching Ebenezer Scrooge elevates this version to must-see status. —Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025

Depp will play the titular role of Ebenezer Scrooge, a misanthropic and miserly businessman in 19th century London who is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future in an effort to save himself from an afterlife of torment. —Adam B. Vary, Variety, 23 Oct. 2025

But if raising the minimum wage to $25 an hour would actually help all workers, why be so miserly about it? —Adam Summers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Oct. 2025

The centerpiece of that miserly backline, Gianluca Mancini (no relation to Roberto), nodded home his first international goal to put the gloss on Italy’s 3-0 World Cup qualifying win over Israel on Tuesday. —Jack Bantock, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025

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