thrifty

adjective

ˈthrif-tē 

thriftier; thriftiest

1

: given to or marked by economy and good management

2

: thriving by industry and frugality : prosperous

3

: growing vigorously

thriftily

ˈthrif-tə-lē 

adverb

thriftiness

ˈthrif-tē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• economical
• economizing
• frugal
• provident
• scrimping
• sparing

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

In the last five years alone, the traditional cable, satellite and telco-TV players have lost 36.3 million subscribers, and even when thriftier vMVPD offerings are tossed into the mix, there are still 24.3 million homes that have cut the cord and never looked back. —Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 26 July 2024

The company is also leaning into marketing that emphasizes how drinking coffee at home is more affordable than buying it from a coffee shop, in the hopes of appealing to thrifty shoppers. —Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 25 July 2024

Mindy and the band prepare for Eurovision, but when funds run dry, they’re forced to get thrifty. —Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 July 2024

If the Tohono O’odham have a word for the gray of hair no longer black, yet not pure white, thrifty Chinese Americans like my family should probably have a word for the gray of socks no longer white, yet not thrown away. —Soma Mei Sheng Frazier, Peoplemag, 20 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

thrifty

adjective

ˈthrif-tē 

thriftier; thriftiest

1

: doing well because of hard work and thrift : prosperous

2

: growing strongly

thrifty cattle

3

: tending to save money

thriftily

-tə-lē 

adverb