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
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More Negative Words to Describe a Person
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Curmudgeon, Cantankerous and Churlish: Grouchy Words
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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.
Moe cited projected earnings growth of 320% in 2026, 35% in 2027 and 20% in 2028 and then pointed to the miserly five times earnings multiple investors were paying for such growth.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
They also each serve the same purpose: to keep the public distant, confused, and grateful for whatever miserly scraps of information the justices deign to release to us.
From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026
On his 50th birthday he writes to his London publisher, insulting his appearance and mocking his miserly advance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026
First published in 1843, A Christmas Carol tells the story of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, who hates Christmas, but is transformed after a series of ghostly visits.
From BBC ● Nov. 8, 2025
In our times we have not seen great deeds accomplished except by those who were considered miserly; the others were all wiped out.
From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli
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.
