miserly

adjective

ˈmī-zər-lē How to pronounce miserly (audio)
Definition of miserlynext
as in selfish
giving or sharing as little as possible my brother, who is notoriously miserly, surprised us when he offered to pick up the tab

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective miserly contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of miserly are close, niggardly, parsimonious, penurious, and stingy. While all these words mean "being unwilling or showing unwillingness to share with others," miserly suggests a sordid avariciousness and a morbid pleasure in hoarding.

a miserly couple devoid of social conscience

When can close be used instead of miserly?

Although the words close and miserly have much in common, close suggests keeping a tight grip on one's money and possessions.

folks who are very close when charity calls

When is it sensible to use niggardly instead of miserly?

While the synonyms niggardly and miserly are close in meaning, niggardly implies giving or spending the very smallest amount possible.

the niggardly amount budgeted for the town library

Where would parsimonious be a reasonable alternative to miserly?

The synonyms parsimonious and miserly are sometimes interchangeable, but parsimonious suggests a frugality so extreme as to lead to stinginess.

a parsimonious lifestyle notably lacking in luxuries

When would penurious be a good substitute for miserly?

The words penurious and miserly can be used in similar contexts, but penurious implies niggardliness that gives an appearance of actual poverty.

the penurious eccentric bequeathed a fortune

When is stingy a more appropriate choice than miserly?

While in some cases nearly identical to miserly, stingy implies a marked lack of generosity.

a stingy child, not given to sharing

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 miserly The film is set in Mumbai and built around a miserly protagonist whose circumstances spiral into escalating absurdity. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026 The latest Wilderness model will sport the most miserly powertrain of all the vehicles in that sub-brand, Subaru says. — Marty Padgett, The Drive, 1 Apr. 2026 Mobile versions for laptops are more miserly but still draw up to 175 W, which can quickly drain a laptop battery. — IEEE Spectrum, 17 Nov. 2025 While there have been many fine adaptations of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Alastair Sim's performance as the miserly, penny-pinching Ebenezer Scrooge elevates this version to must-see status. — Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for miserly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for miserly
  1. selfish
  2. careful
  3. stingy
  4. greedy
  5. parsimonious
  6. tightfisted
  7. ungenerous
  8. tight
Adjective
  • Steve Bova, another friend and former director of the international division at Systematics, recalled how Steuri was anything but selfish.
    — Dylan Sherman, Arkansas Online, 1 Sep. 2026
  • But the most terrifying characters are the broken, vain, selfish parents who in one way or another cause their children so much harm.
    — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of selfish
Adjective
  • Getting to that point required careful control of stress during fabrication.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Huntsinger, playing along with Variety’s should-win/will-win Emmy prediction game, drew a careful line.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of careful
Adjective
  • Ratings are a question mark, since Season 1 didn’t chart on Nielsen and Apple is stingy with viewership data, but the nine episodes seemed to come and go without much fanfare.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The Warriors also played stingy defense, allowing negative rushing yards and only 68 yards passing on five completions.
    — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of stingy
Adjective
  • However, greedy jobs are mostly characterized by the unpredictability of when individuals are required to work.
    — Kim Elsesser, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Through its own websites, the mysterious group has been portraying itself as vigilantes out to rein in greedy video game developers.
    — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of greedy
Adjective
  • This one seemed slow and turgid, and the Australian attack was parsimonious, with only the sixth bowler used, Ash Gardner, going at more than 10 runs an over in her three overs.
    — Paul Newman, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • This is the most parsimonious way to account for the unified nature of consciousness, according to subcorticalists.
    — Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 28 May 2026
Definition of parsimonious
Adjective
  • Dobie’s cantankerous, tightfisted father and sweet, harebrained mother were played by the characters actors Frank Faylen and Florida Friebus.
    — Margalit Fox, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2022
  • The ambience reflects Hankey’s tightfisted approach to his seven companies, which include a Toyota dealership, a dealer management software developer and Midway Car Rental, which does a big business renting exotic cars.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2021
Definition of tightfisted
Adjective
  • Plus, no other app is as ungenerous with unblurred photos as eharmony.
    — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 29 July 2026
  • Bad motives are easy to find Sometimes ungenerous motives can help people to be generous.
    — Mark Schroeder, The Conversation, 15 July 2026
Definition of ungenerous
Adjective
  • Dow stood with three tattooed and shirtless jumpers, weaving white paracord through hooks in the canvas and cinching it tight.
    — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Given the tight timeframe before the election, Sher is seeking both temporary relief and an interim injunction in the petition to ensure eligible citizens are not disenfranchised while bureaucratic procedures are reviewed.
    — Natasha Mozgovaya, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of tight

Browse Nearby Words

miserliness
miserly
misers
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Cite this Entry

“Miserly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/miserly. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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