penny-wise
Britishadjective
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greatly concerned with saving small sums of money
-
careful about trifles but wasteful in large ventures
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.
However, penny-wise, profit-driven developers want homes closer together on narrow streets that allow for more buildings.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 20, 2023
Ms Devlin added the move is a "penny-wise and pound-foolish approach to workforce".
From BBC ● May 15, 2023
A year later, the Kemper Open moved to Avenel, a decision that turned out to be penny-wise and pound-foolish.
From Washington Post ● May 7, 2022
These pound-foolish steps don’t even qualify as penny-wise, since they can end up costing a state more for less coverage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2019
A large sum is exacted for remissness during the Ramazān, and it is said that the dread of loss operates powerfully upon a class of men who are particularly penny-wise.
From The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India Volume II by R. V. (Robert Vane) Russell
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
