definitions

sparing

[ spair-ing ]
/ ˈspɛər ɪŋ /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sparing ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

economical (often followed by in or of).
lenient or merciful.
scanty; limited.

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RELATED WORDS

easily, delicately, casually, tenderly, moderately, gingerly, softly, simply, mildly, freely, quietly, slightly, sparsely, faintly, subtly, occasionally, intermittently, sporadically, rarely, fairly

Nearby words

sparganoma, sparganosis, sparge, sparid, sparine, sparing, sparing action, spark, spark arrester, spark chamber, spark coil

Origin of sparing

Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; see origin at spare, -ing2

Related forms

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sparingly

British Dictionary definitions for sparingly

sparing

/ (ˈspɛərɪŋ) /

adjective

(sometimes foll by with or of) economical or frugal (with)
scanty; meagre
merciful or lenient

Derived Forms

sparingly, adverbsparingness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012