cheapskate

American  

[cheep-skeyt] / ˈtʃipˌskeɪt /

noun

1. a person who is stingy and miserly.

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verb (used without object)

cheapskated, cheapskating

1. to act in a stingy or miserly way.

cheapskate British  

/ ˈtʃiːpˌskeɪt /

noun

1. informal a miserly person

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Usage

What does cheapskate mean? A cheapskate is a person who doesn’t like to give or spend money—someone who’s stingy. Cheapskate is a very informal word that’s always used in a negative way, as an insult. Example: Some cheapskate left me a quarter and two pennies as a tip today.

Etymology

Origin of cheapskate

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900; cheap + skate ³

Explanation

A cheapskate is someone who is tight with money. Cheapskates will do anything to avoid spending a buck. Some people spend too much money: they're always picking up the check and running up their credit cards. Other people are the opposite: a cheapskate is cheap, meaning they avoid spending money to an extreme degree. Cheapskates don't leave tips when they eat out. Cheapskates don't buy things they need, even when they have the money. Cheapskates would never lend or give money, and they hate spending money on gifts. A cheapskate can also be called a miser or a tightwad.

Example Sentences

It’s partly the cheapskate middle-class advice columnist in me, and it’s partly due to where you are in your life.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 17, 2026

I’m glad I can finally allow my cheapskate self to pay someone for house repairs that require climbing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

Perhaps he shouldn’t be such a cheapskate next time.

From Slate • May 18, 2024

The Oakland Athletics are a major league team in name only, their talent level a reflection of how little money cheapskate owner John Fisher invests in his product.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2023

According to my father, Dusty Muleman was such a pathetic cheapskate that he wouldn’t pay to have the Coral Queen’s sewage hauled away.

From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen