penurious

pe·nu·ri·ous

adjective \pə-ˈnu̇r-ē-əs, -ˈnyu̇r-\

Definition of PENURIOUS

1

: marked by or suffering from penury

2

: given to or marked by extreme stinting frugality

— pe·nu·ri·ous·ly adverb

— pe·nu·ri·ous·ness noun

Examples of PENURIOUS

1. The penurious school system had to lay off several teachers.
2. <the company's penurious management could not be convinced of the need to earmark more money for research and development>

First Known Use of PENURIOUS

1590

Related to PENURIOUS

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

bounteous, bountiful, charitable, freehanded, generous, liberal, munificent, openhanded, unsparing, unstinting

Related Words

careful, chary, conserving, economical, economizing, frugal, saving, scrimping, skimping, thrifty; acquisitive, avaricious, avid, coveting, covetous, desirous, grasping, greedy, hoggish, itchy, mercenary, rapacious, selfish, shabby, small, sordid; begrudging, envious, grudging, resentful; inhospitable

Near Antonyms

altruistic, selfless, unselfish; extravagant, free, handsome, lavish, overgenerous, profuse; beneficent, benevolent, hospitable, humanitarian, philanthropic (also philanthropical); compassionate, good-hearted, greathearted, kindly, magnanimous, openhearted; thriftless, unthrifty; dissipating, frittering, prodigal, profligate, spendthrift, splurging, squandering, wasteful, wasting

See Synonym Discussion at stingy

Rhymes with PENURIOUS

incurious, injurious, luxurious, perjurious, usurious