stinginess

[ stin-jee-nis ]

noun

1. the state or condition of being reluctant to give or spend; miserliness:

   The governor’s stinginess with public money, and his hard line on welfare spending, were two of the factors that led most liberals to back his opponent in the next election.

   As one might expect, Mother Nature's stinginess with water has done a number on agricultural production in the region.

2. the state of being meager or barely sufficient in amount:

   Because of the stinginess of the aid payments, researchers found that welfare mothers still need to find other sources of income.

Word History and Origins

Origin of stinginess¹

stingy ¹( def ) + -ness ( def )

Example Sentences

The girls bought new shoes and ate more meat, but along with Pedro’s financial savvy came a stinginess that extended to his family.

From Los Angeles Times

And though stinginess has come against relatively weak offenses — it’s still the NFL.

From Seattle Times

And the stinginess of their generosity, their snark and begrudging were a bummer.

From New York Times

But he is constantly flummoxed by the stinginess of some customers.

From New York Times

They have regained some of their defensive stinginess.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• frugality
• prudence
• thrift
• thriftiness