frugally

American

[froo-guh-lee] / ˈfru gə li /

adverb

in an economical way; not wastefully.

We were accustomed to living frugally, which helped us keep our heads above water through a long period of unemployment.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of frugally

frugal ( def. ) + -ly

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.

See Examples For:

frugally

I live very frugally, and I genuinely enjoy my two jobs.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026

The central tenet is that you live extremely frugally during your working life, so that you can retire as soon as possible.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

Shake Shack, meanwhile, swung to a first-quarter loss, dragged down by additional investments intended to drive traffic while consumers spend frugally at restaurants.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026

A Shiite cleric, he lives frugally and was brought up in a religious tradition that reveres martyrdom.

From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026

Although Laucks, with his great wealth, could have covered everyone’s expenses, he’d frugally pick and choose where, when, and how he wanted to spend his money.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023