stingy

¹ American  

[stin-jee] / ˈstɪn dʒi /

adjective

stingier, stingiest

1. reluctant to give or spend; not generous; penurious.

   He's a stingy old miser.

   Synonyms:

   tight

   Antonyms:

   unselfish, liberal, generous

2. scanty or meager.

   a stingy little income.

   Synonyms:

   poor, paltry, sparse

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stingy ² American  

[sting-ee] / ˈstɪŋ i /

adjective

1. having a sting.

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stingy ¹ British  

/ ˈstɪndʒɪ /

adjective

1. unwilling to spend or give

2. insufficient or scanty

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stingy ² British  

/ ˈstɪŋɪ /

adjective

1. informal stinging or capable of stinging

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noun

1. dialect a stinging nettle

   I put my hand on a stingy

Related Words

Stingy, parsimonious, miserly, mean, close all mean reluctant to part with money or goods. Stingy, the most general of these terms, means unwilling to share, give, or spend possessions or money: children who are stingy with their toys; a stingy, grasping skinflint. Parsimonious describes an extreme stinginess arising from unusual or excessive frugality: a sternly parsimonious, penny-pinching existence. Miserly stresses a pathological pleasure in acquiring and hoarding money that is so powerful that even necessities are only grudgingly purchased: a wretched, miserly way of life. Mean suggests a small-minded, ignoble, petty stinginess leading to miserable, cheerless living: depressingly mean with his money; mean surroundings; a mean repast. Close implies extreme caution in spending money, even an aversion to spending: a close dealer, buying only at rock bottom prices; generous with advice, but very close with his money.

Other Word Forms

• stingily adverb
• stinginess noun

Etymology

Origin of stingy¹

First recorded in 1650–60; perhaps derivative of sting; -y ¹

Origin of stingy²

First recorded in 1605–15; sting + -y ¹

Explanation

If you are looking to describe someone with a Scrooge- or Grinch-like tendency to pinch his pennies, then stingy can be your adjective of choice. Or, if you are looking to describe something you have too little of — like a 43-second coffee break — you can use stingy as well. The adjective stingy (pronounced with a soft "g") is likely derived from the adjective stingy (pronounced with a hard "g"), which means "biting, sharp, or stinging." Although stingy is usually used to describe an ungenerous or miserly person, stingy can also be used to describe a larger entity: "People were no longer able to buy homes due to the stingy lending policies of the banks."

Example Sentences

In terms of allowing opponents into their own 22, Scotland were stingy and ranked first, the problem being that they conceded way too often - 40% of visits ended with a try for their rivals.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

The depictions of Ruth’s uptight and stingy brother Hyacinth and jealous and mother-in-law from hell “old Mrs. Hall” are both hoots.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026

One likely reason for Columbia’s stingy valuation—analysts expect profits to grow just 2% in 2026, although that should accelerate to 8.6% in 2027.

From Barron's • Jan. 14, 2026

But as boomer-age parents consider all these matters, it shouldn’t be perceived that they’re being cautious or even stingy with their savings, advisers say.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 16, 2025

“Well, I know a man so stingy that he wouldn’t eat out in the sunlight, ’cause he was scared his shadow might ask for some of the food!”

From "Stella by Starlight" by Sharon M. Draper

Related Words

• frugal
• greedy
• miserly
• selfish
• thrifty