scrooge
verb (used with or without object)
scrooge
1 American
[skrooj]
/ skrudʒ /
verb (used with or without object)
scrooged,
scrooging
Scrooge
2
American
[skrooj]
/ skrudʒ /
noun
-
Ebenezer a miserly curmudgeon in Dickens' Christmas Carol.
-
(often lowercase) any miserly person.
Scrooge
British
/ skruːdʒ /
noun
Etymology
Origin of Scrooge
1935–40, Scrooge for def. 2
Explanation
A scrooge is a person who is stingy with money: scrooges would rather do anything than part with a buck. The novels of Charles Dickens have contributed more than a dozen words that found their way into everyday language. Scrooge, the chief character from A Christmas Carol, is perhaps the best-known of them all. Like the character, a scrooge is a selfish person who doesn't like giving or spending. Scrooges keep a tight hold on every penny, even if they’re rich. You can also call a scrooge a miser or skinflint. Someone generous is the opposite of a scrooge.
Vocabulary lists containing scrooge
You Name It: Eponyms
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Scrooge, Grinch, and Churl: Wonderful Words for Unpleasant People
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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.
We’ll keep it breezy, useful and real, because, as we’ve learned, most people are just trying to get a little better with their money without turning into day traders or Ebenezer Scrooge.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 2, 2026
And each year, when the twinkling holiday lights fade to a hazy glow and the gingerbread is nothing more than crumbs, I thank copyright law for giving me my favorite Christmas tradition: Ebony Scrooge.
From Salon • Dec. 24, 2025
Without wanting to play Scrooge, investors should remember that markets are as barren as Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree this week—with Tuesday having the lowest trading volumes since Jan. 3, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
From Barron's • Dec. 24, 2025
Wardlaw looks like a skinny Santa Claus with long white hair and beard, but he was dressed somberly Saturday night, like a dapper Scrooge after his epiphany.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 8, 2025
“Maybe I read too much Dickens over the holidays. Scrooge, Marley, Tiny Tim.”
From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein
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.
