stingy

IPA/ˈstɪndʒi/
KK[stˈɪndʒi]IPA/ˈstɪndʒi/

stingy — adjective

  • stingypositive
  • stingiercomparative
  • stingiestsuperlative

1. describes someone who dislikes sharing or spending their money or possessions, e

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes someone who dislikes sharing or spending their money or possessions, even when it would be reasonable or expected to do so — for example, never buying a friend a drink, or using something far past when others would replace it

Example

Theo is so stingy that he reuses his tea bags to save money.

pattern: 'so stingy that…' for extreme cases

Mrs Okafor called her stingy neighbour selfish for never donating to the building repair fund.

Common collocations
  • stingy with money
  • stingy with time
  • stingy person
  • stingy landlord
  • stingy boss
Synonyms
  • miserly

    stronger and more disapproving; suggests hoarding money out of extreme meanness

  • tight-fisted

    informal and vivid; implies clinging tightly to every coin

  • cheap

    very common in US English; can also describe low-quality goods

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

be + stingy

be + stingy with + noun phrase

stingy + noun (describing a person)

Usage Note

Commonly used in everyday criticism of someone's spending habits. The opposite, 'generous', is a direct antonym and follows the same grammar patterns.

Common Mistakes

My stingy boss gave everyone a big bonus.
My stingy boss gave everyone a very small bonus.
a stingy person gives less, not more.
He is stingy with his money, so he always pays for everyone's dinner.
He is stingy with his money, so he always finds a way to avoid paying.
stingy describes a reluctance to spend or share.

2. describes an amount, portion, or quantity that is much smaller than what is need

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes an amount, portion, or quantity that is much smaller than what is needed, expected, or fair — for example, a tiny serving of food, a very small salary increase, or a brief holiday too short to enjoy properly

Example

The airline served a stingy bag of pretzels on the six-hour flight with no meal.

collocation: 'stingy + serving / portion of food'

After months of negotiation, the union accepted a stingy three-percent wage increase.

Common collocations
  • stingy portion
  • stingy serving
  • stingy raise
  • stingy donation
  • stingy amount
  • stingy size
Synonyms
  • meager

    more neutral and formal; describes something lacking in quantity without blaming a person

  • paltry

    contemptibly small; carries stronger disapproval than 'stingy'

  • scant

    barely enough or not enough; often used for supplies, evidence, or attention

Antonyms
  • generous

    large in amount or plentiful

  • ample

    more than enough; comfortably sufficient

Grammar Patterns

stingy + noun (portion, serving, raise, donation, size)

Usage Note

Only describes the thing given or available (the portion, salary, donation), not the person giving it — for a person who refuses to share, use sense 1 instead. Roughly synonymous with 'meager' or 'paltry' but sounds more conversational.

Common Mistakes

The restaurant served a stingy waiter.
The restaurant served a stingy portion of fries.
'stingy' in sense 2 describes the amount, not the person.
She received a stingy gift from her generous friend.
She received a stingy gift from her stingy friend.
if the gift is small, the giver is likely also stingy; it would be odd for a generous person to give a stingy gift.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe someone unwilling to share or spend money, but they differ in strength and formality. 'Stingy' is the most common and covers everyday situations — a stingy friend never buys a round of drinks, a stingy landlord avoids repairs. 'Miserly' is stronger and more disapproving; it suggests someone who hoards money obsessively, often living poorly to save every penny. 'Tight-fisted' is an informal, vivid image of someone closing their hand around coins and refusing to let go. 'Cheap' is very common in US conversation and can describe both the person ('a cheap date') and the quality of goods ('cheap shoes'). For example: a stingy guest brings only a bottle of water to a party; a miserly millionaire wears torn clothes to save money; a tight-fisted boss fights every request for office supplies; a cheap teenager buys the lowest-grade headphones that break in a week.

stingy ↗miserly ↗tight-fisted ↗cheap ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • stingy person
  • stingy portion
  • stingy serving
  • stingy raise
  • stingy donation

Adverbs

  • very stingy
  • rather stingy
  • a bit stingy
  • so stingy

Phrases

  • stingy with details
  • stingy with praise

Prepositions

  • stingy with (money, time, food)

Etymology

unknown originEnglish

The word 'stingy' first appeared in English around the 1600s, but its exact origin is unclear. It may come from the old dialect noun 'stinge', meaning a person who stings or pinches every coin — like a bee sting that gives a sharp, unpleasant feeling. The '-y' suffix turns this idea into an adjective (similar to 'angry' from 'anger' or 'sunny' from 'sun'). Over time, 'stingy' came to describe anyone who gives or spends in a sharp, ungenerous way.