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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective stingy contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of stingy are close, miserly, niggardly, parsimonious, and penurious. While all these words mean "being unwilling or showing unwillingness to share with others," stingy implies a marked lack of generosity.

a stingy child, not given to sharing

When could close be used to replace stingy?

The words close and stingy can be used in similar contexts, but close suggests keeping a tight grip on one's money and possessions.

folks who are very close when charity calls

When might miserly be a better fit than stingy?

The words miserly and stingy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, miserly suggests a sordid avariciousness and a morbid pleasure in hoarding.

a miserly couple devoid of social conscience

When is niggardly a more appropriate choice than stingy?

In some situations, the words niggardly and stingy are roughly equivalent. However, niggardly implies giving or spending the very smallest amount possible.

the niggardly amount budgeted for the town library

When would parsimonious be a good substitute for stingy?

While the synonyms parsimonious and stingy are close in meaning, parsimonious suggests a frugality so extreme as to lead to stinginess.

a parsimonious lifestyle notably lacking in luxuries

Where would penurious be a reasonable alternative to stingy?

While in some cases nearly identical to stingy, penurious implies niggardliness that gives an appearance of actual poverty.

the penurious eccentric bequeathed a fortune

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stingy This goes with countless ingredients that people just get too stingy with—including butter, cheese, garlic, and more. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 4 Apr. 2025 Goaltender Ava McNaughton is the backbone of an extremely stingy defense. Dean Spiros, Twin Cities, 20 Mar. 2025 Their penalty kill is stingy in their own zone and disruptive enough to generate some chances. Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 22 May 2025 Safe to say that synergy has come to flourish between Veach and Spagnuolo, whose defenses have significantly outperformed the Chiefs’ vaunted offense the last two seasons and have been among the NFL’s 10 stingiest units in five of Spagnuolo’s six seasons. Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 21 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for stingy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stingy
Adjective
  • Watch out for slippery roads: Be extra careful during the first half hour after rain begins.
    Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 7 June 2025
  • However, Kilmeade was careful to praise Musk’s efforts during his time in the Trump administration.
    Andrew Kirell, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • Juan Soto, meanwhile, went 0-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout and heard a smattering of boos from a sparse crowd after a seventh-inning groundout.
    Peter Sblendorio, Hartford Courant, 28 May 2025
  • Soto, meanwhile, received a smattering of boos from a sparse crowd, particularly after a seventh-inning groundout.
    Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 28 May 2025
Adjective
  • But the approval process has been slow, the discounts vary from carrier to carrier, the requirements coming from insurers don’t always match the state’s own standards and the savings on offer are, according to some, miserly.
    CalMatters, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Newcastle's player sale profits were miserly for years until June 2024 Profit on player sales from 2014 to 2024 (£millions) Column chart of Newcastle United profit on player sales, where club record £69.8m in 2023-24 far outweigh what came before.
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • That's key in a country where good-paying jobs are scarce.
    Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 8 June 2025
  • Yet with the old rail factory at Qadam station in disrepair, the know-how to forge, repair, and maintain Ottoman rail is scarce.
    Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • According to sources, some felt the decision was selfish, but others thanked her for her longstanding contributions in person and online, and felt the way in which the situation had unfolded was very unfair to her.
    Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 28 May 2025
  • Despite mixed emotions within his friend group, Reddit users were overwhelmingly on the poster's side, with many arguing that Jenna was being selfish.
    Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 24 May 2025
Adjective
  • The risk extends even to children due to increasing rates of childhood obesity and poor dietary habits.20 As a result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that healthy adults have their lipids checked every four to six years.
    MD Published, Verywell Health, 5 June 2025
  • Most cited poor digital offerings or a lack of services and products.
    Robert Frank, CNBC, 5 June 2025
Adjective
  • Are the companies somehow less greedy in other states?
    Ted Gaines, Oc Register, 28 May 2025
  • What the greedy developers are trying to do burns me to no end.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 May 2025
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

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Cite this Entry

“Stingy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stingy. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.

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