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
Seattle still won by 35 points because of the run game and a stingy defense.
—
Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
All that space was just there, and my father genuinely did not understand why the rest of the world was so stingy with him.
—Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
Harvey will struggle to find his footing against New England’s stingy run defense.
—Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
The Texans became a dark horse Super Bowl candidate and won their wild card-round postseason game last week because of their remarkably stingy defense.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stingy
Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
All that space was just there, and my father genuinely did not understand why the rest of the world was so stingy with him.
—Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
Harvey will struggle to find his footing against New England’s stingy run defense.
—Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
The Texans became a dark horse Super Bowl candidate and won their wild card-round postseason game last week because of their remarkably stingy defense.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Jan. 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
-
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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But interest in that format waned as defense and effort became increasingly sparse, and the game hit rock bottom in 2024 when the East beat the West, 211-186.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
16 Feb. 2026
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In the first halves of the games in this stretch, the offense has been brutally inefficient and sparse.—
Jannelle Moore,
Mercury News,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
People forget that being an athlete is selfish.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
12 Feb. 2026
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The first, the sewing machine, was created by a selfish and ambitious inventor who wanted all the credit and was willing to fight a war for it.—
Luis Gallo,
NPR,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Are dinner reservations more scarce and more expensive?—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Details are scarce as to what prompted the officer to fire.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
That requires that the drug companies be less greedy in squeezing the state’s Medicaid program.—
Livi Stanford,
Hartford Courant,
12 Feb. 2026
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Unfortunately, buying a legitimate one to replace what’s been stolen can cost five, 10, or even 20 times that if your dealer’s service department is especially greedy, which is a big part of the problem here.—
Adam Ismail,
The Drive,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Semmann said stores raise prices primarily in response to supply chain issues, such as poor harvests, changes to international trade policy or increasing logistical costs.—
Francesca Pica,
jsonline.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Boating conditions are poor across offshore waters south of Cape Canaveral, while small craft need to exercise caution near the inlets.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Every year, a complacent, tightfisted city council turned down the recommendations.—
Margaret Talbot,
The New Yorker,
2 Oct. 2023
-
Kotick played the tightfisted owner of the Oakland A’s.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
31 May 2023
Adjective
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But the parsimonious Lady Featherington (Polly Walker) gives Varly her old hideous yellow and green dresses instead of a raise (this is clearly the Regency-era equivalent of the office pizza party).—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
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The latter offers a more judicious form of clemency, but only on a parsimonious, individual basis.—
Bernadette Meyler,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stingy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stingy. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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