tightfisted

adjective

tight·​fist·​ed ˈtīt-ˈfi-stəd How to pronounce tightfisted (audio)
: reluctant to part with money
tightfistedness noun

Examples of tightfisted in a Sentence

The company's tightfisted owner won't raise the workers' salaries. the company is pretty tightfisted when it comes to bonuses
Recent Examples on the Web Every year, a complacent, tightfisted city council turned down the recommendations. Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2023 Kotick played the tightfisted owner of the Oakland A’s. Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 31 May 2023 The other period that defined her time in power was Europe’s debt crisis, and her tightfisted prescription for long years of painful budget cuts as a way out of it — something many southern Europeans still have not forgiven her for more than a decade later. New York Times, 8 Dec. 2021 Dobie’s cantankerous, tightfisted father and sweet, harebrained mother were played by the characters actors Frank Faylen and Florida Friebus. Margalit Fox, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2022 Diplomats from neighboring countries, Afghans overseas and U.N. officials have all called on the United States to relax its tightfisted approach. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 22 June 2022 The ambience reflects Hankey’s tightfisted approach to his seven companies, which include a Toyota dealership, a dealer management software developer and Midway Car Rental, which does a big business renting exotic cars. Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2021 But most problems that befall condo associations are not from nefarious board members or tightfisted unit owners, said Rolando, the Florida Bar Association’s Condominium and Planned Development Committee co-chair. Washington Post, 7 July 2021 The Heiress Hunt is about two strong-willed individuals learning to wrest the tightfisted control that has dictated their lives (and their success). Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tightfisted.' 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

1844, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tightfisted was in 1844

Dictionary Entries Near tightfisted

Cite this Entry

“Tightfisted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tightfisted. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tightfisted

adjective
tight·​fist·​ed ˈtīt-ˈfis-təd How to pronounce tightfisted (audio)

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