1
as in miserly
giving or sharing as little as possible
until his redemption, Ebenezer Scrooge is the classic example of a very stingy, heartless miser
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sparse
less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable
a stingy serving of mashed potatoes
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stingy
Poly’s stingy defense and a pair of key buckets from Smothers helped the Engineers go on a prolonged 7-0 run that extended their lead to 13 late before a 3-pointer from Elliott with about three minutes to go proved to be the dagger in Poly’s 16-point victory.
—
Nicky Wolcott, Baltimore Sun, 25 Feb. 2026
But residual deals back then were notoriously stingy, particularly for new talent, so when the series ended its run in 2003, there wasn’t a whole lot of ongoing revenue.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 21 Feb. 2026
O’Leary’s task is to make a stingy defense for the past two seasons even stingier.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 11 Feb. 2026
Darnold has All-Pro wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and running back Kenneth Walker, and the Seahawks defense is the stingiest in the league.
—Rob Maaddi, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stingy
Nicky Wolcott, Baltimore Sun, 25 Feb. 2026
But residual deals back then were notoriously stingy, particularly for new talent, so when the series ended its run in 2003, there wasn’t a whole lot of ongoing revenue.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 21 Feb. 2026
O’Leary’s task is to make a stingy defense for the past two seasons even stingier.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 11 Feb. 2026
Darnold has All-Pro wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and running back Kenneth Walker, and the Seahawks defense is the stingiest in the league.
—Rob Maaddi, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stingy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stingy
Adjective
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Como had been neck-and-neck with Roma’s miserly backline before shipping four at Inter last Saturday, a chastening defeat that ended an unbeaten run stretching back to the end of August.—
Jack Bantock,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2025
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In this version, miserly Madame Eleanor is visited by the ghost former business partner Jacob Marley as well as a few other apparitions.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
26 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Even as aquatic creatures are starting to fill the canals, however, ships are still sparse in the early spring, and the locks that allow movement through the water are often closed.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
2 Mar. 2026
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Crowds in West Sixth Street bars were sparse, but a few patrons came out for a drink or game of pool despite the lingering police tape.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Games like the snowdrift problem are a way to explore this puzzle using simple math, with the aim of figuring out how a bunch of selfish individuals add up to a coherent society.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
23 Feb. 2026
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Real people are complicated and selfish.—
David Colman,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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For working class voters with inflexible work schedules, limited transportation and scarce childcare, adding a document requirement is not a neutral inconvenience.—
Kica Matos,
Hartford Courant,
1 Mar. 2026
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In areas of intense fighting — especially in Darfur — famine is spreading and food and basic supplies are scarce.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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People being selfish, people being greedy, people murdering other people, people kidnapping other people, taking advantage of women, people taking advantage of children, all of this awful stuff.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
2 Mar. 2026
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Other teams — notably the Danes, the Italians and the Americans — decided to let the greedier bunch scrap for the same optimum position on the line.—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Through its clear imagery, operators can navigate safely and assess fire scenes even with poor visibility.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Mar. 2026
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An injection like this has a clear advantage over daily prevention pills in poorer countries, where patients – particularly young women – might struggle to access clinics or feel stigmatised for seeking treatment.—
Harriet Marsden,
TheWeek,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Every year, a complacent, tightfisted city council turned down the recommendations.—
Margaret Talbot,
The New Yorker,
2 Oct. 2023
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Kotick played the tightfisted owner of the Oakland A’s.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
31 May 2023
Adjective
-
The financial rewards accrued from streaming and downloading have been parsimonious.—
Thomas Doherty,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Feb. 2026
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Jerry Reinsdorf, who traditionally has been parsimonious with both the Bulls and the ChiSox, isn’t about to kick in another $116 million.—
Dan Freedman,
Forbes.com,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stingy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stingy. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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