stingy

adjective

stin·​gy ˈstin-jē 

stingier; stingiest

1

: not generous or liberal : sparing or scant in using, giving, or spending

stingy with the salt

stingy employee benefits

2

: meanly scanty or small

stingy portions of meat

stingily

ˈstin-jə-lē 

adverb

stinginess

ˈstin-jē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• miserly
• selfish
• greedy
• tightfisted
• parsimonious
• tight
• ungenerous
• cheap
• close
• pinching
• penurious
• mean
• chintzy
• careful
• uncharitable
• desirous

Choose the Right Synonym for stingy

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 stingy in a Sentence

The company was too stingy to raise salaries.

until his redemption, Ebenezer Scrooge is the classic example of a very stingy, heartless miser

Recent Examples on the Web

The prevailing wisdom is that Medicaid is a losing proposition for health facilities, an insurance program so stingy that many can’t afford to take it. —Helen Ouyang, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2025

As the offense exploded, the team’s defense remained stingy. —Peter Baugh, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025

The Warriors turned in a stingy defensive performance and have now allowed only 28 points over their last four games following a grind-it-out 14-6 road win at Memorial Field. —Greg Dudek, Boston Herald, 18 Oct. 2025

Still, the Dolphins got a bit stingy when the Chargers got to the red zone. —Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from English dialect *stinge, noun, sting; akin to Old English stingan to sting

First Known Use

1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for stingy

• dingy

Kids Definition

stingy

adjective

stin·​gy ˈstin-jē 

stingier; stingiest

1

: not generous : giving, using, or spending as little as possible

2

: scanty, meager

a stingy portion

stingily

-jə-lē 

adverb

stinginess

-jē-nəs 

noun