as in miserly
giving or sharing as little as possible
the company is pretty tightfisted when it comes to bonuses
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Recent Examples of tightfisted
Diplomats from neighboring countries, Afghans overseas and U.N. officials have all called on the United States to relax its tightfisted approach.
—
Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 22 June 2022
Dobie’s cantankerous, tightfisted father and sweet, harebrained mother were played by the characters actors Frank Faylen and Florida Friebus.
—Margalit Fox, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2022
The ambience reflects Hankey’s tightfisted approach to his seven companies, which include a Toyota dealership, a dealer management software developer and Midway Car Rental, which does a big business renting exotic cars.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2021
The Heiress Hunt is about two strong-willed individuals learning to wrest the tightfisted control that has dictated their lives (and their success).
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2021
See All Example Sentences for tightfisted
Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 22 June 2022
Dobie’s cantankerous, tightfisted father and sweet, harebrained mother were played by the characters actors Frank Faylen and Florida Friebus.
—Margalit Fox, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2022
The ambience reflects Hankey’s tightfisted approach to his seven companies, which include a Toyota dealership, a dealer management software developer and Midway Car Rental, which does a big business renting exotic cars.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2021
The Heiress Hunt is about two strong-willed individuals learning to wrest the tightfisted control that has dictated their lives (and their success).
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2021
See All Example Sentences for tightfisted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tightfisted
Adjective
-
The film is set in Mumbai and built around a miserly protagonist whose circumstances spiral into escalating absurdity.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
-
UConn’s offense hasn’t been nearly as prolific, averaging 73.2 points per game, although its D has been downright miserly.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The first time, Julian’s children (James Corden, Jessica Gunning) seemed like miserable, greedy wretches.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2026
-
But whether or not the good are rewarded, the greedy get their comeuppance, or old creative sparks are rekindled soon become beside the point.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Season 2, in the big picture, takes a cynical approach to modern relationships, asking if love is an inherently selfish endeavor within a capitalistic society, where your quality of life is so heavily influenced by what’s in your bank account.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
-
While holding everyone captive, Park says that humanity is ultimately selfish and that greed is the way to get ahead in the world.—
Skyler Trepel,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The financial rewards accrued from streaming and downloading have been parsimonious.—
Thomas Doherty,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Feb. 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
Cruz Azul, 0-2-0 all-time against LAFC, must outscore a stingy defensive unit by at least four goals over 90 minutes to buck the odds.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The Senate would slash that to $35 million, and the stingier House would defund the program entirely.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
There’s an ungenerous and shallow way to look at this film as little more than a highlight reel of Hammer’s work, a paltry substitute for actually spending meaningful time with the work itself.—
Sam Bodrojan,
IndieWire,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Stars and billionaires are calling out the super-rich for being ungenerous As the world mints hundreds of thousands of millionaires yearly and billionaire wealth soars to record highs, some leaders can’t stand to stay quiet.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Organizers now hold the Israeli gathering at undisclosed venues and under tight security, broadcasting to multiple sites for those who wish to participate remotely.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
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Kevin May, a Delta A350 captain who is directly involved with the GEESE project, compares the flight pattern to cycling in tight packs.—
Megan Wollerton,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
There’s a cast of wanderers, visionaries, and itinerants, the self-educated and self-published, a long lineage of cranks and outcasts, mostly penurious, always opinionated, stretching away into the mists of pseudohistory.—
Hari Kunzru,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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Then the usually penurious Indians suddenly splurged.—
Chuck Murr,
Forbes.com,
19 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tightfisted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tightfisted. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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