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adj B2 Upper-Intermediate

stingy

STIHND-zhee

Stingy (adj) means unwilling to spend, give, or share; miserly. Example: “He was too stingy to leave a decent tip.”

adj
1
Unwilling to spend, give, or share; miserly.
"He was too stingy to leave a decent tip."
2
Meager or insufficient in amount.
"The restaurant gave us a stingy portion for the price."

How to use stingy

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishUnwilling to give or spend, or too small in amount.

Common mistake

Don't confuse with "stringy" (thin and fibrous, like meat).

Easily confused with
Common pairings
stingy with money stingy portion

Word forms

stingier comparative, stingier comparative, stingiest superlative, stingiest superlative

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He was too _____ to leave a decent tip.

Etymology

Possibly a dialect variant related to "sting", suggesting a sharp, ungenerous nature.

as tight as Dick's hatband cheap cheeseparing chintzy close close as wax close-fisted illiberal mean miserable miserly narrow-fisted

Antonyms

Related words

Rhymes for stingy

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Frequently asked questions

What does “stingy” mean?

The word “stingy” means unwilling to spend, give, or share; miserly. In plain terms, unwilling to give or spend, or too small in amount.

How do you pronounce “stingy”?

“Stingy” is pronounced STIHND-zhee (/ˈstɪnd͡ʒi/ in IPA).

How do you use “stingy” in a sentence?

Here is “stingy” used in a sentence: “He was too stingy to leave a decent tip.”

What is another word for “stingy”?

Words with a similar meaning to “stingy” include as tight as Dick's hatband, cheap, cheeseparing, chintzy, close and close as wax.

What is the opposite of “stingy”?

The opposite of “stingy” — its antonyms — are wasteful, prodigal, profligate, spendthrift and generous.

What part of speech is “stingy”?

“Stingy” is an adjective.

How many meanings does “stingy” have?

“Stingy” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: unwilling to spend, give, or share; miserly.

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