sparing

sparing

adjective

Definition of SPARING

1

: marked by or practicing careful restraint (as in the use of resources)

2

: meager, bare <the map is sparing of information>

— spar·ing·ly adverb

Examples of SPARING

1. <a sparing couple who are trying to save up enough for a house>
2. <a government agency that has always been sparing of public information>

First Known Use of SPARING

14th century

Related to SPARING

Synonyms

economical, economizing, provident, scrimping, frugal, thrifty

Antonyms

prodigal, profligate, spendthrift, squandering, thriftless, unthrifty, wasteful

Related Words

conserving, preserving, saving; forehanded, foresighted, foresightful, prudent; penny-wise; cheap, close, closefisted, mean, miserly, niggard, niggardly, parsimonious, penny-pinching, penurious, pinching, spare, stingy, stinting, tight, tightfisted

Near Antonyms

improvident, shortsighted; bountiful, charitable, freehanded, generous, liberal, munificent, openhanded, unselfish, unsparing; extravagant, indulgent, lavish

Synonym Discussion of SPARING

sparing, frugal, thrifty, economical mean careful in the use of one's money or resources. sparing stresses abstention and restraint <sparing in the offering of advice>. frugal implies absence of luxury and simplicity of lifestyle <ran a frugal household>. thrifty stresses good management and industry <thrifty use of nonrenewable resources>. economical stresses prudent management, lack of wastefulness, and use of things to their best advantage <an economical health-care plan>.

Rhymes with SPARING

airing, bearing, Bering, daring, fairing, flaring, glaring, herring, paring, tearing, wearing