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.
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
Known as “The Witch of Wall Street” for her miserly ways, Green quietly bailed out New York City in the early 1900s.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025
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
They had scored a miserly 15 in their previous 20 league games this season, mustering just 66 shots on target from 226 attempts.
From BBC • Jan. 19, 2025
There had been a little rain and a fuzz of miserly grass had started up.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
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.
