scrimp
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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to be sparing or restrictive of or in; limit severely.
to scrimp food.
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to keep on short allowance; provide sparingly for.
to scrimp their elderly parents.
verb
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to be very economical or sparing in the use (of) (esp in the phrase scrimp and save )
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(tr) to treat meanly
he is scrimping his children
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(tr) to cut too small
adjective
Other Word Forms
- scrimpily adverb
- scrimpiness noun
- scrimpy adjective
- unscrimped adjective
Etymology
Origin of scrimp
First recorded in 1710–20; from Scandinavian; compare Swedish skrympa, Norwegian, Danish skrumpe (originally from an unattested skrimpa, ) “to shrivel,” cognate with Middle High German schrimpfen “to contract”; shrimp
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.
He had scrimped and saved enough money to build a home for elderly Jews in Hilversum—for the elderly of all faiths, in fact, for Willem was against any system of segregation.
From Literature
“California and 35 other states are standing up for Americans who are sick and tired of being ripped off and having to scrimp and save to enjoy a night out,” Owens said in a statement.
From Los Angeles Times
Shoppers are not necessarily scrimping on their holiday budgets, but amid economic uncertainty and a cooling labor market, they’re more focused on scoring the best deals, data suggest.
From MarketWatch
My mom and dad were extremely frugal; they scrimped and saved.
From MarketWatch
Perhaps they might think of their parents who weren’t able to have a “maximum level of enjoyment” while they scrimped and saved to come up with $86,926 for tuition and fees each year.
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.
