stingy

/ˈstɪndʒi/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈstɪndʒi/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈstin-jē/ (ame, mw)

stingy — adjective

  • stingypositive
  • stingiercomparative
  • stingiestsuperlative

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

1.形容詞B2
釋義

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

例句

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.

同義詞
  • 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

反義詞

文法句型

be + stingy

be + stingy with + noun phrase

stingy + noun (describing a person)

用法筆記

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

常見錯誤

❌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.形容詞B2
釋義

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

例句

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.

同義詞
  • 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

反義詞
  • generous

    large in amount or plentiful

  • ample

    more than enough; comfortably sufficient

文法句型

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

用法筆記

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.

常見錯誤

❌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.