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.
Moe cited projected earnings growth of 320% in 2026, 35% in 2027 and 20% in 2028 and then pointed to the miserly five times earnings multiple investors were paying for such growth.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
They also each serve the same purpose: to keep the public distant, confused, and grateful for whatever miserly scraps of information the justices deign to release to us.
From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026
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
The Blues stormed to the league title in Mourinho's first season in charge - in no small part thanks to the most miserly defence in the league's history.
From BBC ● Nov. 20, 2025
And that’s how I felt about our dreadful boardinghouse, the wretched meals we were served, and the aggravating theatrics of miserly Mrs. Wigginbottom.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
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.
