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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective stingy contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of stingy are close, miserly, niggardly, parsimonious, and penurious. While all these words mean "being unwilling or showing unwillingness to share with others," stingy implies a marked lack of generosity.

a stingy child, not given to sharing

When could close be used to replace stingy?

The words close and stingy can be used in similar contexts, but close suggests keeping a tight grip on one's money and possessions.

folks who are very close when charity calls

When might miserly be a better fit than stingy?

The words miserly and stingy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, miserly suggests a sordid avariciousness and a morbid pleasure in hoarding.

a miserly couple devoid of social conscience

When is niggardly a more appropriate choice than stingy?

In some situations, the words niggardly and stingy are roughly equivalent. However, niggardly implies giving or spending the very smallest amount possible.

the niggardly amount budgeted for the town library

When would parsimonious be a good substitute for stingy?

While the synonyms parsimonious and stingy are close in meaning, parsimonious suggests a frugality so extreme as to lead to stinginess.

a parsimonious lifestyle notably lacking in luxuries

Where would penurious be a reasonable alternative to stingy?

While in some cases nearly identical to stingy, penurious implies niggardliness that gives an appearance of actual poverty.

the penurious eccentric bequeathed a fortune

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stingy At some point, though, Indiana will need someone to make a tough bucket against a stingy defense. Andrew Greif, NBC news, 18 June 2025 Meanwhile, Golden State’s defense remained stingy while the rest of the offense tried to find its way. Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 5 May 2025 Behind a stingy defensive performance, the Valkyries defeated the Storm 76-70 on Saturday to win their third straight game. Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 14 June 2025 Nationally, the stingiest bosses were in Louisiana, who gave only 2.8% raises late last year. Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 6 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for stingy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stingy
Adjective
  • The miserly email account offerings are particularly limiting for larger ventures, and unusual for the category which typically offers unlimited email.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 16 June 2025
  • The Athletics, despite their miserly ways, have a strong foundation of young players — Silver Slugger Brent Rooker, Lawrence Butler, Jacob Wilson, JJ Bleday, Shea Langeliers, Zack Gelof, and this year’s #4 pick in the draft, Nick Kurtz.
    Dan Freedman, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • In her prominent book Atlas of AI, renowned Microsoft researcher and academic Kate Crawford documents the vast extractive needs of AI but notes that detailed analysis of materials that will be needed has been sparse.
    Saleem H. Ali, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
  • Details about the plot and general vibe of the project are currently sparse, so who knows?
    Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 17 July 2025
Adjective
  • In this story, the father’s behavior is exemplary and mothers (more than one) are selfish with bad habits who don’t act to their children’s benefit.
    Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 14 July 2025
  • The removal of living beings from their natural environment, along with the massive scale of human intervention, can be just as pernicious as the instinctive and selfish destruction that is often overlooked.
    PhotoVogue, Vogue, 10 July 2025
Adjective
  • While specific details of his early childhood are scarce, Weller came of age during a time when distilling was a booming regional industry, often run by farmers and small-business operators who combined their agricultural production with whiskey making.
    Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 26 July 2025
  • Details after paramedics whisked Valdes away are scarce, her friend says, as no one was allowed to ride with her to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where she was later pronounced dead.
    Isabel Rivera, Miami Herald, 24 July 2025
Adjective
  • But the vast majority are cynical and greedy and scared of losing their jobs.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 3 July 2025
  • A far cry from the mild-mannered Peter Parker in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films, Tully is an abusive, hot-headed, and greedy slime ball who leverages post-war desperation into a thriving criminal business.
    Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
Adjective
  • Spurred by climate change, Canadian wildfires have increasingly exacerbated poor air quality across Milwaukee and southern Wisconsin.
    Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 24 July 2025
  • Because the movie's central dynamic—a powerful, U.S.-backed aggressor invading a poor, largely defenseless neighbor—is all too familiar.
    Faisal Kutty, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
Adjective
  • Every year, a complacent, tightfisted city council turned down the recommendations.
    Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2023
  • Kotick played the tightfisted owner of the Oakland A’s.
    Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 31 May 2023
Adjective
  • Wimpy was a mild-mannered, soft-spoken, lazy, parsimonious, and utterly gluttonous hamburger-wolfing straight man to Popeye.
    Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2025
  • Both parsimonious tenets are measurable, explainable and actionable.
    Noah Barsky, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Stingy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stingy. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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