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

Example Sentences

if you are thrifty, you can find ways to decorate your room stylishly yet inexpensively
Recent Examples on the Web My husband has always been thrifty (as have I), but he’s never tipped over into miserliness. Amy Dickinson, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Apr. 2023 Choosing recipes that are flexible enough to work well with a variety of odds and ends is thrifty and environmentally friendly. Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2023 Vohler Laptop Backpack With Charger: This pack was a serious contender for our best budget pick thanks to its sturdy build and protective padding, but our thrifty pick had a few more standout features than this one. Anna Popp, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2023 Being thrifty, of course, factors in. John Clarke, WSJ, 28 Nov. 2022 Their metabolism learns to be thrifty. Lisa Raffensperger, Discover Magazine, 5 Aug. 2013 Her worker bee NFTs feature thrifty insects, some wearing hats or glasses, holding a cup of coffee with one of their six legs. Marco Quiroz-gutierrez, Fortune Crypto, 13 Apr. 2023 Some other thrifty person will pick them up for a song and spend some money at Home Depot to paint them. Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2023 More recently thrifty shoppers have gravitated to Walmart as prices rise for a host of goods amid high inflation and spending shifts to necessities such as food. Sarah Nassauer, WSJ, 2 Mar. 2023 See More

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 8 Jun. 2023.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!