miserly

adjective

mi·​ser·​ly ˈmī-zər-lē 

: 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

Synonyms

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

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

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

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

miserly

adjective

mi·​ser·​ly ˈmī-zər-lē 

: of, relating to, or characteristic of a miser

miserliness noun