November 05, 2012
stingy (adjective)
\STIN-jee\ Hear it!
What does it mean?
1 : not generous : giving, using, or spending as little as possible2 : scanty, meager
How do you use it?
"She was merely furious that her parents, and Jamie's too, had been so stingy that she had been away from home less than one whole day and was already worried about survival money." (E. L. Kongisburg, _From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler_)
Are you a word wiz?

What are two synonyms of "stingy"?

If you chose C, you're right! "Close," "penurious," and "stingy" all mean "unwilling to share with others." "Stingy" is the most informal of the synonyms, and the broadest in meaning: it merely implies a lack of generosity. ("She was a stingy child who didn't like to share her toys.") "Close," which is slightly more formal than "stingy," refers to someone that keeps a tight fist on their money or possessions. ("He's very close with his baseball cards and refuses to trade them."). "Penurious" is the most formal of the three, and it suggests an unwillingness to spend money to such an extent that the person in question actually appears poor. ("Her aunt was a penurious eccentric who ate out of dumpsters but was worth millions.")
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