Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

parsimonious

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of parsimonious

giving or sharing as little as possible

  • a parsimonious woman who insists that charity begins—and ends—at home
Synonyms of parsimonious

cheap, chintzy, close, closefisted, mean, mingy, miserly, niggard, niggardly, penny-pinching, penurious, pinching, pinchpenny, spare, sparing, stingy, stinting, tight, tightfisted, uncharitable, ungenerous
Words Related to parsimonious

careful, chary, conserving, economical, economizing, frugal, saving, scrimping, skimping, thrifty

acquisitive, avaricious, avid, coveting, covetous, desirous, grasping, greedy, hoggish, itchy, mercenary, rapacious, selfish, shabby, small, sordid

begrudging, envious, grudging, resentful

inhospitable
Near Antonyms of parsimonious

altruistic, selfless, unselfish

extravagant, free, handsome, lavish, overgenerous, profuse

beneficent, benevolent, hospitable, humanitarian, philanthropic (also philanthropical)

compassionate, good-hearted, greathearted, kindly, magnanimous, openhearted

thriftless, unthrifty

dissipating, frittering, prodigal, profligate, spendthrift, splurging, squandering, wasteful, wasting
Antonyms of parsimonious

bounteous, bountiful, charitable, freehanded, generous, liberal, munificent, openhanded, unsparing, unstinting

Synonym Discussion of parsimonious

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

Learn More about parsimonious

  1. See words that rhyme with parsimonious Dictionary: Definition of parsimonious Spanish Central: Translation of parsimonious Nglish: Translation of parsimonious for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of parsimonious for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up parsimonious? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games