Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective parsimonious contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of parsimonious are close, miserly, niggardly, penurious, and stingy. While all these words mean "being unwilling or showing unwillingness to share with others," parsimonious suggests a frugality so extreme as to lead to stinginess.

a parsimonious lifestyle notably lacking in luxuries

When could close be used to replace parsimonious?

While in some cases nearly identical to parsimonious, close suggests keeping a tight grip on one's money and possessions.

folks who are very close when charity calls

When is it sensible to use miserly instead of parsimonious?

The meanings of miserly and parsimonious largely overlap; however, miserly suggests a sordid avariciousness and a morbid pleasure in hoarding.

a miserly couple devoid of social conscience

Where would niggardly be a reasonable alternative to parsimonious?

While the synonyms niggardly and parsimonious are close in meaning, niggardly implies giving or spending the very smallest amount possible.

the niggardly amount budgeted for the town library

When would penurious be a good substitute for parsimonious?

The words penurious and parsimonious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, penurious implies niggardliness that gives an appearance of actual poverty.

the penurious eccentric bequeathed a fortune

In what contexts can stingy take the place of parsimonious?

In some situations, the words stingy and parsimonious are roughly equivalent. However, stingy implies a marked lack of generosity.

a stingy child, not given to sharing

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of parsimonious Driving the reluctant interviewee to the Manchester airport for the flight to Washington, Rudman discovered that his famously parsimonious friend had only $3 in his wallet. Barbara A. Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025 Some have felt conflicted, but after decades without success and 14 years of soulless drudgery under Mike Ashley’s parsimonious ownership, many were willing to accept anything for the promise or even just the hope of better times. Oliver Kay, The Athletic, 19 Mar. 2025 His father was intensely parsimonious as well, and once tried to build a front fence by hammering bookshelves together. Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2025 The parsimonious publics of the United States and other democracies, on the other hand, would prevent their governments from expending the necessary resources to resist Beijing’s efforts to undermine a boycott. Dawn Brancati, Foreign Affairs, 25 Mar. 2021 See All Example Sentences for parsimonious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parsimonious
Adjective
  • McKim, Mead & White quickly became the place for aspiring young architects, who avidly sought jobs there despite miserly salaries.
    Henry Wiencek July 22, Literary Hub, 22 July 2025
  • The miserly email account offerings are particularly limiting for larger ventures, and unusual for the category which typically offers unlimited email.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 16 June 2025
Adjective
  • So yes, be yourself, so long as that self is not selfish, impulsive, or obnoxious.
    Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • To be a quarterback means being selfish and sometimes delusional.
    Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Fleming and Iwamasa, as well as greedy ketamine providing doctors Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez have all previously entered guilty pleas in the Perry case.
    Dominic Patten, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Women are greedy, untrustworthy, weak and inferior, these influencers say.
    Will Carless, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • 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
Adjective
  • Credit spreads are at their tightest in about 20 years, meaning there is little difference in yields between corporate bonds compared to government bonds.
    Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The project, created under tight deadlines and with hobby-grade parts, is now on track for wider military use.
    Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Though stingy, the Bengal Tigers have scored only 40 points in wins over Clemson (17-10) and Louisiana Tech (23-7).
    Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Arizona opened the season with a dominant 40–6 win over Hawai'i, powered by a strong ground attack and a stingy defense.
    Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • At least with Derrick, the shallowness seems intentional, if ungenerous.
    Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 13 June 2025
  • But, even though there was nothing the slightest bit ungracious or ungenerous about her performance, it was felt more like the audience being asked to come to her.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • But both are gone because neither could make magic of Sherman’s low-spending model that still includes the most penurious payroll in MLB in 2025.
    Greg Cote July 16, Miami Herald, 16 July 2025
  • Even so, the general picture of a mother’s absence and a daughter’s understandable resentment at having had to pick up the maternal slack in penurious conditions comes through loud and clear.
    Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Parsimonious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parsimonious. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.

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