thriftier; thriftiest
1
: given to or marked by economy and good management
2
: thriving by industry and frugality : prosperous
3
: growing vigorously
thriftily adverb
thriftiness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for thrifty

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

Examples of thrifty in a Sentence

if you are thrifty, you can find ways to decorate your room stylishly yet inexpensively
Recent Examples on the Web Her father, a minor landowner named Thomas Lucas, died during her infancy, leaving her noble, thrifty mother to manage the family’s estate, in Essex. Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2024 The project is seeking a production budget around $75 million — a notable uptick from the thrifty origins of the franchise. J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 10 Jan. 2024 For a thriftier solution, start with the sort of basic evergreen round many garden centers and groceries sell for around $20, then weave in a few strategic accessories to zhush it up. Sarah Karnasiewicz, WSJ, 8 Dec. 2023 Several surveys now paint the typical British shopper as anxious, thrifty, and prepared to find bargains while spending less altogether. Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 1 Dec. 2023 Add pasta to your frittata for a thrifty, quick and versatile dinner Want more recipes and tips? Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2023 Her guests—who include her thrifty Aunt TC and her brassy mother, Patricia—are bold, fun, and refreshingly unfiltered. Priya Krishna, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2023 My parents had been thrifty and saved a good amount of money for retirement. Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 24 Sep. 2023 Spend your thrifty weekend enjoying nature, a small-town atmosphere, history, and shopping in places like Shepherdstown, a picturesque college community. Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 18 Feb. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thrifty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of thrifty was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near thrifty

Cite this Entry

“Thrifty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thrifty. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

thrifty

adjective
thriftier; thriftiest
1
: doing well because of hard work and thrift : prosperous
2
: growing strongly
thrifty cattle
3
: tending to save money
thriftily adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on thrifty

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