sparingly

American

[spair-ing-lee] / ˈspɛər ɪŋ li /

adverb

in an economical or limited way.

Nutritionists recommend eating fats sparingly.

Other Word Forms

oversparingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of sparingly

sparing ( def. ) + -ly

Vocabulary lists containing sparingly

George Martin (1926-2016) Tribute List

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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.

While there is a small stage, it is used sparingly.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

Trump is mentioned sparingly, and sometimes only in absentia.

From Slate • Feb. 25, 2026

Even still, during an outage, you’ll want to use AC sparingly, as it can drain batteries quickly.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026

Consumers have also shown signs of using the paper towels, shampoo and other essentials they do buy more sparingly to conserve supplies.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 28, 2026

Boobie played sparingly the following week in a 48—2 win over Dallas Jesuit that upped Permian’s record to six and one.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023