COSTIVE Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

costive

adjective

Definition of costive

as in penurious

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Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of costive In fact, their writings are more pungent now that they have been liberated from the costive confines of the movement. — Jacob Heilbrunn, The New Republic, 23 Jan. 2020 Movies coiled up in other movies have a habit of becoming either costive or cute, but somehow Falardeau avoids the traps. — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 15 May 2017

Recent Examples of Synonyms for costive

Adjective

The Marlins of course notoriously are among baseball’s cheapest teams, led by penurious owner Bruce Sherman.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2026
There’s a cast of wanderers, visionaries, and itinerants, the self-educated and self-published, a long lineage of cranks and outcasts, mostly penurious, always opinionated, stretching away into the mists of pseudohistory.

— Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026

Definition of penurious

Adjective

This one seemed slow and turgid, and the Australian attack was parsimonious, with only the sixth bowler used, Ash Gardner, going at more than 10 runs an over in her three overs.

— Paul Newman, New York Times, 5 July 2026
This is the most parsimonious way to account for the unified nature of consciousness, according to subcorticalists.

— Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 28 May 2026

Definition of parsimonious

Adjective

The plot involves two sons of rich, miserly fathers in love with girls their fathers will never approve of and what happens when the fathers’ devious servants decide to give the boys a hand.

— Lonnie Burstein Hewitt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 July 2026
The already rich reap the most, though the thin spreading of payments means the payouts are relatively miserly for the game’s elite.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 21 July 2026

Definition of miserly

Adjective

Accusing investors of not tracking the misses may be uncharitable.

— Henrik Landgren, Fortune, 29 July 2026
In the years since it was announced, the economics of college football have grown increasingly uncharitable for programs like the Mustangs, an FCS team that plays its home games in an 11,000-seat stadium and last had a winning season in 2016.

— Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 23 July 2026

Definition of uncharitable

Adjective

Even after accounting for differences between the generous CLTC testing cycle and stingier EPA cycle, we were left with cars offering a crazy-high 910-mile (1,465-km) range.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Aug. 2026
In another world where the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is less stingy towards comedic performances, Candy would have easily landed an Oscar nomination, if not a win, for Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

— Al Shipley, SPIN, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of stingy

Adjective

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
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, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2021

Definition of tightfisted

Browse Nearby Words

costing

costive

costless

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“Costive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/costive. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of costive

adjective

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