adjective
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niggardly with money
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lacking money or means
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yielding little; scanty
Other Word Forms
- penuriously adverb
- penuriousness noun
- unpenurious adjective
- unpenuriously adverb
- unpenuriousness noun
Etymology
Origin of penurious
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Medieval Latin pēnūriōsus, from Latin paenūria, pēnūria penury + -ous ( def. )
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.
In a ruling July 28, McMahon called them “hapless, easily manipulated and penurious petty criminals” who had no connection to any terrorist group and had “never remotely contemplated” violent extremism before they met Hussain.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 7, 2023
There his followers learn about his penurious childhood and his own children's lives.
From BBC • Apr. 17, 2023
As he plots his revenge, Satine must choose between penurious love and oppressive, though posh, security.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2022
As three penurious gold prospectors, and Lloyd a conservative party activist, the 1910 climbers cherished their departed Republican, William McKinley.
From The Guardian • Nov. 8, 2018
He listened to hints of his penurious temper, and deigned no other answer than a smile.
From Discipline by Brunton, Mary
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.
