Synonyms of sparing

sparing 1 of 2

adjective

ˈsper-iŋ 

1

as in economical

careful in the management of money or resources

a sparing couple who are trying to save up enough for a house

Synonyms & Similar Words

• economical
• saving
• economizing
• conserving
• prudent
• preserving
• provident
• thrifty
• frugal
• scrimping
• cheap
• spare
• pinching
• close
• foresighted
• forehanded
• parsimonious
• miserly
• stingy
• mean
• penny-wise
• tightfisted
• tight
• foresightful
• stinting
• penurious
• penny-pinching
• closefisted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• wasteful
• profligate
• prodigal
• spendthrift
• unthrifty
• generous
• squandering
• improvident
• shortsighted
• liberal
• charitable
• bountiful
• unselfish
• munificent
• unsparing
• thriftless
• lavish
• extravagant
• indulgent
• openhanded
• freehanded

2

as in careful

giving or sharing as little as possible

a government agency that has always been sparing of public information

Synonyms & Similar Words

• careful
• close
• spare
• pinching
• selfish
• desirous
• tight
• parsimonious
• conserving
• miserly
• greedy
• mean
• stingy
• saving
• cheap
• ungenerous
• tightfisted
• stinting
• economical
• penurious
• uncharitable
• small
• penny-pinching
• chintzy
• mingy
• economizing
• pinchpenny
• closefisted
• chary
• thrifty
• frugal
• grudging
• skimping
• grasping
• avaricious
• mercenary
• covetous
• begrudging
• envious
• sordid
• avid
• scrimping
• acquisitive
• rapacious
• shabby
• hoggish
• resentful
• coveting
• itchy
• inhospitable

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• generous
• liberal
• bountiful
• charitable
• unstinting
• bounteous
• unsparing
• munificent
• openhanded
• free
• selfless
• unselfish
• altruistic
• lavish
• extravagant
• handsome
• profuse
• benevolent
• overgenerous
• hospitable
• humanitarian
• freehanded
• beneficent
• philanthropic
• kindly
• magnanimous
• compassionate
• wasting
• wasteful
• openhearted
• profligate
• unthrifty
• prodigal
• dissipating
• spendthrift
• good-hearted
• squandering
• greathearted
• thriftless
• frittering
• splurging

3

as in sparse

less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable

unfortunately, the explanation of the health insurance plan was somewhat sparing on details

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sparse
• scarce
• poor
• spare
• scant
• scanty
• meager
• lowest
• lacking
• stingy
• skimpy
• small
• light
• insufficient
• slender
• mere
• short
• inadequate
• minimal
• skimp
• thin on the ground
• exiguous
• hand-to-mouth
• slim
• least
• deficient
• wanting
• slightest
• thin
• bare-bones
• littlest
• bare
• sterile
• slight
• unfruitful
• unproductive
• barren
• infertile

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sufficient
• ample
• adequate
• abundant
• generous
• enough
• copious
• liberal
• satisfactory
• plentiful
• bountiful
• rich
• tolerable
• fruitful
• fertile
• fat
• plenteous
• prolific
• extra
• lavish
• excess
• bursting
• luxuriant
• flourishing
• fecund
• thriving
• surplus
• proliferative
• teeming
• swarming
• blooming

sparing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of spare

1

as in conserving

to use or give out in stingy amounts

I'll have a banana split—and don't spare the whipped cream

Synonyms & Similar Words

• conserving
• preserving
• skimping (on)
• scanting
• nursing
• stinting (on)
• shortchanging
• pinching
• doling out
• meting (out)
• rationing (out)
• portioning (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• pouring
• showering
• raining
• heaping
• lavishing

2

as in saving

to avoid unnecessary waste or expense

she had grown up during the Great Depression, so she was no stranger to sparing

Synonyms & Similar Words

• saving
• conserving
• economizing
• managing
• preserving
• skimping
• scrimping
• pinching
• scraping
• maintaining
• pinching pennies
• husbanding
• cutting down
• hoarding
• cutting back
• retrenching
• laying up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• wasting
• spending
• blowing
• squandering
• lavishing
• dissipating
• running through
• throwing away
• frittering (away)
• misspending
• splurging

Synonym Chooser

How is the word sparing distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of sparing are economical, frugal, and thrifty. While all these words mean "careful in the use of one's money or resources," sparing stresses abstention and restraint.

sparing in the offering of advice

When might economical be a better fit than sparing?

Although the words economical and sparing have much in common, economical stresses prudent management, lack of wastefulness, and use of things to their best advantage.

an economical health-care plan

When can frugal be used instead of sparing?

In some situations, the words frugal and sparing are roughly equivalent. However, frugal implies absence of luxury and simplicity of lifestyle.

ran a frugal household

Where would thrifty be a reasonable alternative to sparing?

While in some cases nearly identical to sparing, thrifty stresses good management and industry.

thrifty use of nonrenewable resources

How is the word sparing distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of sparing are economical, frugal, and thrifty. While all these words mean "careful in the use of one's money or resources," sparing stresses abstention and restraint.

sparing in the offering of advice

When might economical be a better fit than sparing?

Although the words economical and sparing have much in common, economical stresses prudent management, lack of wastefulness, and use of things to their best advantage.

an economical health-care plan

When can frugal be used instead of sparing?

In some situations, the words frugal and sparing are roughly equivalent. However, frugal implies absence of luxury and simplicity of lifestyle.

ran a frugal household

Where would thrifty be a reasonable alternative to sparing?

While in some cases nearly identical to sparing, thrifty stresses good management and industry.

thrifty use of nonrenewable resources

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sparing

Adjective

In other cases, the redactions were more sparing. —Joe Walsh, CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025

But the smile is now more sparing, at least on camera. —Longreads, 19 Dec. 2024

Mercy for violence, however, remained more sparing. —New York Times, 17 Nov. 2021

Verb

These discussions can serve legitimate purposes by sparing courts trials. —Keith Wortz, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026

Milwaukee/Sullivan National Weather Service meteorologist Andrew Quigley said earlier predictions of a foot or more of snow in Milwaukee have shifted north, somewhat sparing southern Wisconsin. —Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 13 Mar. 2026

Several times when prosecutors played video from the 2024 shooting in Far Rockaway, his widow Stephanie Diller stepped out of the courtroom, sparing herself the grisly and gruesome details of how her husband and father of her 3-year-old boy died trying to disarm an ex-convict on a busy street. —Sheetal Banchariya, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026

The golden goal is even sparing Rangers fans, somewhat. —Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 10 Mar. 2026

The World Health Organization called Monday for sparing civilians and healthcare facilities in the Middle East amid the escalating conflict. —Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026

Despite boosting his across-the-board tariffs to 15 percent over the weekend, the president’s baseline tariff has kicked in at just 10 percent, sparing trading partners from the full weight of the duty burden that was threatened. —Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 24 Feb. 2026

As adults, his children—one of whom is an acclaimed songwriter—are careful with their words and sparing with the fillers. —Angela Haupt, Time, 20 Feb. 2026

Some argue that limited military action targeting the Revolutionary Guard and security infrastructure — while sparing civilians — may be the only remaining path to ending this authoritarian system. —Pegah Banihashemi, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026