stingy
1 Americanadjective
adjective
-
unwilling to spend or give
-
insufficient or scanty
adjective
noun
Synonym Usage
Stingy, parsimonious, miserly, mean, close all mean reluctant to part with money or goods. Stingy, the most general of these terms, means unwilling to share, give, or spend possessions or money: children who are stingy with their toys; a stingy, grasping skinflint. Parsimonious describes an extreme stinginess arising from unusual or excessive frugality: a sternly parsimonious, penny-pinching existence. Miserly stresses a pathological pleasure in acquiring and hoarding money that is so powerful that even necessities are only grudgingly purchased: a wretched, miserly way of life. Mean suggests a small-minded, ignoble, petty stinginess leading to miserable, cheerless living: depressingly mean with his money; mean surroundings; a mean repast. Close implies extreme caution in spending money, even an aversion to spending: a close dealer, buying only at rock bottom prices; generous with advice, but very close with his money.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of stingy1
First recorded in 1650–60; perhaps derivative of sting; see -y 1
Origin of stingy2
Explanation
If you are looking to describe someone with a Scrooge- or Grinch-like tendency to pinch his pennies, then stingy can be your adjective of choice. Or, if you are looking to describe something you have too little of — like a 43-second coffee break — you can use stingy as well. The adjective stingy (pronounced with a soft "g") is likely derived from the adjective stingy (pronounced with a hard "g"), which means "biting, sharp, or stinging." Although stingy is usually used to describe an ungenerous or miserly person, stingy can also be used to describe a larger entity: "People were no longer able to buy homes due to the stingy lending policies of the banks."
Vocabulary lists containing stingy
Unit 1: Telling Details
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The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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Where the Red Fern Grows
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Companies have bought back gobs of stock while turning stingy on dividends—they like that buybacks don’t require an ongoing commitment.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
The IRS can force employers to withhold more of a person’s paycheck, or step in to file a stingy return on the person’s behalf.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 6, 2026
When the Lakers extended their lead to 21 points in the third quarter, they did so, in part, by playing stingy defense.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 8, 2026
In terms of allowing opponents into their own 22, Scotland were stingy and ranked first, the problem being that they conceded way too often - 40% of visits ended with a try for their rivals.
From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2026
Colton might be stingy with words sometimes, but he sure chose the right ones when it counted.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
When employers cut jobs because of weak demand, they typically also become stingier with wages for those who remain employed.
From Barron's ● Feb. 11, 2026
Second, a tight labor market meant millions of Americans moved into high-margin, employer-sponsored insurance, leaving stingier government plans behind.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 13, 2026
That’s because the charitable deduction is getting slightly stingier next year for wealthy households that itemize.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2025
Only two defenses have been stingier against the pass, helping Baltimore move into the AFC’s No. 1 playoff spot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 25, 2023
“Or maybe they got rich by being stingier, so they’ll pay less,” Muthu said.
From "The Bridge Home" by Padma Venkatraman
The Colorado Avalanche rode swagger, poise and the league’s stingiest goaltender to the best record in the NHL this season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2026
And the defense morphed into the stingiest unit in the entire sport.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 9, 2026
Goods were auctioned off for a fraction of their value, and owners sometimes took even the stingiest offers just to realize some cash.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 31, 2025
He helped recruit some of the Ramblers’ best players and basically coordinated a defense that ranked among the nation’s stingiest.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 23, 2024
Whose whims had been taken seriously by adults and who grew up to be the stingiest, greediest people on earth and out of their stinginess grew their stingy little love that ate everything in sight.
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
