thrift

1 of 2

noun

ˈthrift 

plural thrifts

1

: careful management especially of money

2

: a savings bank or savings and loan association

called also thrift institution

3

: healthy and vigorous growth

4

chiefly Scotland : gainful occupation

5

: any of a genus (Armeria) of low-growing perennial evergreen herbs of the plumbago family

especially : a tufted herb (A. maritima) with pink or white flower heads

thrift

2 of 2

verb

thrifted; thrifting; thrifts

transitive + intransitive

: to shop for or buy used goods especially at a store that specializes in secondhand merchandise

''My theory is whether you have the money to pay full price or not, why wouldn't you want to get more bang for your fashion buck?'' said Quincy Colman, 41, an habitué of Goodwill, who started thrifting when she was a teenager.

—Patrice J. Williams

"Gen-Z is also very much interested in secondhand shopping. It is intentional and cool to thrift now, whereas in the 1960s and 1970s it was considered counterculture."

—Allison Pfingst

"But I didn't end up buying the hot $200 dress. … Instead, I thrifted a jumpsuit."

—Laura McMullen

Synonyms

Noun

• economy
• frugality
• husbandry
• parsimony
• penny-pinching
• providence
• scrimping
• skimping

Examples of thrift in a Sentence

Noun

Through hard work and thrift they sent all of their children to college.

through hard work and thrift our father was able to raise the money to put all four of us through college

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This is a buzzing, crowded thrift and consignment shop that also assists with local estate sales. —Kayleigh Ruller, Charlotte Observer, 2 Apr. 2024

Vintage blue vases and glasses are often easy to find at most thrift or antique stores. —Kit Selzer, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Mar. 2024

Prices can certainly be cheaper at thrift and vintage shops: Wedding dresses retail for $65 to $185 at Awoke Vintage, for instance, versus the average of $2,000 for new ones. —Stephanie Cain, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024

The fire destroyed nearly all thrift store and e-commerce inventory stored at the center — including thousands of books — which affected inventory in other Idaho Youth Ranch thrift stores throughout the state, according to a Feb. 6 email to donors. —Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 2 Apr. 2024

There are three locations of this franchise thrift store in Charlotte. —Kayleigh Ruller, Charlotte Observer, 2 Apr. 2024

Finally, Dot takes us to a school bus she’s converted into a thrift store. —Jonah Gercke, SPIN, 15 Mar. 2024

And that’s where the annals of gadget history, splayed out across eBay auctions and thrift stores shelves, can start to feel relevant again. —Chris Velazco, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024

To witness her tear through a thrift store was to see Baryshnikov leap, to see Callas flip into head voice. —Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2024

Verb

Not every bride would thrift a dress for their wedding, but Monica Sallay aka @sartorialscraps had unintentionally bought her wedding dress second-hand a decade before she actually got married. —Liana Satenstein, Vogue, 13 July 2021

Over the last 10 weeks, as COVID-19 left thrift stores across the world no choice but to shutter their doors, vintage enthusiasts have been forced to discover ways to thrift online. —Eliza Huber, refinery29.com, 22 May 2020

The analysis of Gen Z emphasized that consumers want to thrift more. —Sharon Edelson, Forbes, 25 Aug. 2022

TikTok followers on her journey to thrift the perfect dress. —Ebony Williams, ajc, 5 July 2022

Here's how to thrift like a pro in Houston — and some stellar store suggestions to help you get started. —Rose Bruno Bailey, Chron, 1 Dec. 2021

Although Daman didn’t thrift any of the costumes on the original Gossip Girl, the reboot is full of items from online resale sites like thredUP, The Real Real, and Depop. —Frances Solá-Santiago, refinery29.com, 15 July 2021

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old Norse, prosperity, from thrīfask to thrive

Verb

derivative of thrift entry 1 (from its attributive use in thrift shop)

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Verb

1983, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing thrift

• thrift shop

Kids Definition

thrift

noun

ˈthrift 

: careful management especially of money

Legal Definition

thrift

noun

: an institution that promotes saving and provides mortgages

especially : savings and loan association

called also thrift institution