stingy
1 Americanadjective
-
stingier,
comparative
-
stingiest
superlative
adjective
-
unwilling to spend or give
-
insufficient or scanty
adjective
noun
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of stingy1
First recorded in 1650–60; perhaps derivative of sting; see -y 1
Origin of stingy2
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."
Vocabulary lists containing stingy
Unit 1: Telling Details
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Watsons Go to Birmingham
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Where the Red Fern Grows
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Up against a Paraguayan squad known for its stingy defense, Pulisic was double-teamed on the left side when he flicked the ball ahead and raced past them into the box.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
Companies have bought back gobs of stock while turning stingy on dividends—they like that buybacks don’t require an ongoing commitment.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
The economy added a more stingy 68,000 jobs, on average, through the first three months of 2026, with economists forecasting an increase of 55,000 in April.
From MarketWatch ● May 7, 2026
But turnovers forced by the Bruins’ suddenly stingy perimeter defense seem to turbo-charge them on the other end.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2026
I knew the baroness to be stingy, rigid, and mean—the perfect temperament to throw a well-run school into turmoil.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
If an interest rate cap is too tight, all but the highest-rated customers might face higher annual fees and stingier rewards.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 14, 2026
They have also boosted their dividends at a time when other companies have been stingier with their payouts.
From Barron's ● Dec. 24, 2025
That’s because the charitable deduction is getting slightly stingier next year for wealthy households that itemize.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2025
The stocks of companies that invested the most no longer fell behind those of stingier companies, but didn’t beat them by much either.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2025
“Or maybe they got rich by being stingier, so they’ll pay less,” Muthu said.
From "The Bridge Home" by Padma Venkatraman
The Colorado Avalanche rode swagger, poise and the league’s stingiest goaltender to the best record in the NHL this season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2026
And the defense morphed into the stingiest unit in the entire sport.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 9, 2026
The Buccaneers hung 40 points on the NFL’s stingiest defense.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 19, 2024
He helped recruit some of the Ramblers’ best players and basically coordinated a defense that ranked among the nation’s stingiest.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 23, 2024
Whose whims had been taken seriously by adults and who grew up to be the stingiest, greediest people on earth and out of their stinginess grew their stingy little love that ate everything in sight.
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
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.
