stingy

B2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈstɪnd͡ʒi/ See IPA manual

Freq #13452

Meanings

1

adj
Unwilling to spend money or share things; not generous.

He is so stingy that he never buys anyone a drink.
2

adj
Small in amount; less than is needed.

The portions at that restaurant are stingy and overpriced.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · unwilling to spend money or... ungenerous mean

More cheap cheeseparingchintzyclose close-fisted illiberal miserable miserlynarrow-fistedniggardlynipcheese

Opposites

generous prodigal profligate spendthrift wasteful

Word family

Forms stingierstingieststinginess

Derived forms mingystingestingilystinginessunstingy

Related forms economy frugality miser parsimoniousness parsimony thrift thriftiness

Etymology

Uncertain, possibly from stinge, a dialectal variation of sting (verb).

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# stingy

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈstɪnd͡ʒi/
**Frequency rank:** 13452

## Meanings
1. Unwilling to spend money or share things; not generous.
2. Small in amount; less than is needed.

## Examples
- He is so stingy that he never buys anyone a drink.
- The portions at that restaurant are stingy and overpriced.

## Synonyms
- cheap
- cheeseparing
- chintzy
- close
- close-fisted
- illiberal
- mean
- miserable
- miserly
- narrow-fisted
- niggardly
- nipcheese

## Antonyms
- generous
- prodigal
- profligate
- spendthrift
- wasteful

## Derived Forms
- mingy
- stinge
- stingily
- stinginess
- unstingy

## Related Forms
- economy
- frugality
- miser
- parsimoniousness
- parsimony
- thrift
- thriftiness

## Etymology
Uncertain, possibly from stinge, a dialectal variation of sting (verb).

## AI Etymology
The origin of stingy is uncertain, possibly from stinge, a dialectal variation of sting (verb). In present-day use, it can mean unwilling to spend money or share things; not generous, or small in amount; less than is needed. Derived formations include mingy, stinge, stingily, stinginess, unstingy.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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