miserly

adjective

mi·​ser·​ly ˈmī-zər-lē How to pronounce miserly (audio)
: 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
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But the approval process has been slow, the discounts vary from carrier to carrier, the requirements coming from insurers don’t always match the state’s own standards and the savings on offer are, according to some, miserly. Calmatters, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2025 Newcastle's player sale profits were miserly for years until June 2024 Profit on player sales from 2014 to 2024 (£millions) Column chart of Newcastle United profit on player sales, where club record £69.8m in 2023-24 far outweigh what came before. Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025 Here's the unvarnished truth: Medicaid's miserly reimbursement rates have driven countless doctors to stop accepting patients in the program. Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025 Chrissy made a predictably miserly offer of $230,000, and obviously David did not take it. Laura Bradley, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for miserly

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of miserly was in 1593

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Cite this Entry

“Miserly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/miserly. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

miserly

adjective
mi·​ser·​ly ˈmī-zər-lē How to pronounce miserly (audio)
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a miser
miserliness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on miserly

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