sparing

American  

[spair-ing] / ˈspɛər ɪŋ /

adjective

1. economical (often followed by in orof ).

   Synonyms:

   penurious, saving, frugal

2. lenient or merciful.

3. scanty; limited.

   Synonyms:

   sparse, meager

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sparing British  

/ ˈspɛərɪŋ /

adjective

1. economical or frugal (with)

2. scanty; meagre

3. merciful or lenient

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Other Word Forms

• nonsparing adjective
• oversparing adjective
• oversparingness noun
• sparingly adverb
• sparingness noun

Etymology

Origin of sparing

A Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; spare, -ing ²

Example Sentences

In December, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge granted her diversion due to mental health issues, sparing her potential jail time.

From Los Angeles Times

Still, for now, the current shock is predominantly centered around oil, not gas, sparing European industry the severe exposure seen in the wake of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Vistesen said.

From The Wall Street Journal

During the first weeks of Russia’s Starlink outage, Ukraine was able to push the Russians back from the outskirts of Zaporizhzhia, the regional capital, sparing the city from assaults from most artillery.

From The Wall Street Journal

Cities like Dubai and Riyadh, which have long taken pride in their safety from the tumult of the region, have been drawn in, with the growing chaos sparing few countries in Iran's vicinity.

From Barron's

"Here its just material damage, money can fix it all. There, money can't fix life", he said, sparing a thought for the members of his community who lost relatives.

From Barron's