miserly
Americanadjective
adjective
Synonym Usage
See stingy 1.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of miserly
Explanation
Miserly people are stingy with their money and not likely to be generous, like Ebenezer Scrooge himself. The adjective miserly evolved from the Latin word miser, which means “unhappy, wretched.” Nowadays, it's generally used to describe someone who hoards their money and presumably is miserable because of it. But be careful not to mix up the word miserly with misery — even though it can often be the unfortunate mental outcome of interacting with a miserly individual.
Vocabulary lists containing miserly
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
More Negative Words to Describe a Person
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Curmudgeon, Cantankerous and Churlish: Grouchy Words
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Dean - leading England for the first time in place of Sciver-Brunt - played the situation well in the whole, having also taken 2-21 off seven miserly overs.
From BBC • May 10, 2026
Known as “The Witch of Wall Street” for her miserly ways, Green quietly bailed out New York City in the early 1900s.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025
The Blues stormed to the league title in Mourinho's first season in charge - in no small part thanks to the most miserly defence in the league's history.
From BBC • Nov. 20, 2025
Forty-two years later, in October 2024, that figure totaled 3.001 million, a miserly increase of less than four percent.
From Salon • Jan. 1, 2025
“I will be very miserly with my new gas cylinders,” Aunty Ifeoma said, smiling, when she saw me.
From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
