as in economy
the quality or practice of being overly sparing with money
refusing to tip poorly paid restaurant servers is a particularly petty form of stinginess
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Recent Examples of stinginess
Courage lies somewhere between cowardice and recklessness, generosity between stinginess and extravagance.
—
Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter’s unit rarely gets burned by big plays in the passing game — save for the first quarter against the Texans in Week 17 — and pairing that with stinginess inside the 20-yard line has made the Chargers difficult to score on consistently.
—Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter’s unit rarely gets burned by big plays in the passing game — save for the first quarter against the Texans in Week 17 — and pairing that with stinginess inside the 20-yard line has made the Chargers difficult to score on consistently.
—Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stinginess
Noun
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Airlines canceled flights and cultural events were postponed as Cuba endures its worst fuel shortage in years, harming tourism and the broader economy.—
Andrea Rodriguez,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
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Stakes are high for the landmark meeting, which could cement the relative stability between the world’s two biggest economies that emerged after a Xi-Trump meeting in South Korea last fall.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Understanding that difference can prevent endless money conflicts because frugality builds a meaningful life, while cheapness slowly erodes joy.—
Brian Page,
CNBC,
26 Dec. 2025
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Reputationally, the tech was a risk; Spotify’s rise had triggered complaints from artists who felt like the new system’s ease and cheapness devalued their art.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
18 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Inflation continues to pressure consumers The holiday economizing comes as Americans continue to battle inflation, which rose after the COVID-19 pandemic to levels not seen since the 1980s.—
Alexander Coolidge,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Long work hours have limited their time together and delayed financial goals such as saving, traveling or planning for long-term stability.—
Brianna Mantaras,
Miami Herald,
17 Feb. 2026
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If that's a bit rich for your blood, the Pro variant is pitched at $1,999 – a considerable saving on the $3,499 retail ticket price.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Two of them are falsifiability and parsimony.—
Calum Lister Matheson,
The Conversation,
14 Nov. 2025
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No act of parsimony shrinks the size of government either.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
Noun
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For example, women are more likely to have chest tightness as a symptom, which may be misdiagnosed as a sign of anxiety.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
13 Feb. 2026
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Marsh dealt with right-shoulder tightness after the 2024 season.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The Aeneid has a special relevance for the United States, a country founded by immigrants who fled from earlier homelands, often believing that divine providence justified their claim on a land already inhabited by many distinct groups of indigenous peoples.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
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Does providence foreordain or do characters have a say?—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
10 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The bra’s signature M frame creates a sturdy structure that supports your chest sans underwire — thereby avoiding any digging, pinching, and poking throughout the day.—
Clara McMahon,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
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Made from SpanxSmooth material—a lightweight nylon-and-elastane blend—the bralette feels almost weightless and provides gentle smoothing without any digging or pinching.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
30 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stinginess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stinginess. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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