miserly
Hoarding every cent
Miserly describes someone extremely unwilling to spend money, even when they have plenty.
A miserly person hoards wealth and begrudges every expense: The miserly landlord refused to fix the heating.
The word carries stronger condemnation than frugal or thrifty—it suggests meanness of spirit, not just careful spending.
Miserly can extend beyond money to anything given grudgingly: miserly portions, miserly with praise.
Excessively unwilling to spend
- tightfistedUnwilling to spend freely
- cheapLow in price
- penuriousExcessively frugal or poor
- niggardlyExtremely reluctant to spend
closefisted · pinching · scrimping · cheeseparing · skinflint · penny-pinching · grudging · ungenerous
Excessive desire for riches
- covetousnessExcessive desire for possessions
- acquisitivenessDesire to gather wealth
- rapacityAggressive, seizing greed
- graspingnessExcessive desire to acquire
money-grubbing · cupidity · possessiveness · selfishness · meanness · stinginess · insatiability · materialism
Prudent with resources
- economicalUsing resources sparingly
- budget-consciousAware of spending limits
- prudentExercising sound judgment
- cost-effectiveGiving good return cheaply
provident · careful · resourceful · conservative · restrained · disciplined · measured · cautious
parsimonious
Excessively unwilling to spend
- tightfistedUnwilling to spend freely
- cheapLow in price
- penuriousExcessively frugal or poor
niggardly · closefisted · pinching · scrimping · cheeseparing · skinflint · penny-pinching · grudging · ungenerous · mean
avarice
Excessive desire for riches
- covetousnessExcessive desire for possessions
- acquisitivenessDesire to gather wealth
- rapacityAggressive, seizing greed
graspingness · money-grubbing · cupidity · possessiveness · selfishness · meanness · stinginess · insatiability · materialism · gold-digging
thrifty
Prudent with resources
- economicalUsing resources sparingly
- budget-consciousAware of spending limits
- prudentExercising sound judgment
cost-effective · provident · careful · resourceful · conservative · restrained · disciplined · measured · cautious · mindful
stockpiling
Accumulating supplies in quantity
- amassingCollecting in quantity
- accumulatingGathering in increasing quantity
- stashingConcealing for safekeeping
squirreling · saving · clutching · guarding · hiding · secreting · coveting · holding · keeping · withholding
- stinginessstinginess, penny-pinching, stingy, tightfistedness, cheapness
- money mindsetsfrugal, thrifty, generous, stingy, greedy
- bargainsbargain, bargain hunting, discount store, coupon, rebate
- flawsfaults, defect, flaw, blemish, flaws
- Money-Saving Wordsthrifty, frugal, economical, budget-conscious, cost-conscious
- selfish traitsselfish, greedy, self-centered, self-absorbed, egotistical
miserlygenerous
Willing to give freely
openhanded · munificent · giving · bountiful · liberal
miserlyspendthrift
Reckless with money
prodigal · extravagant · profligate · wasteful · squandering
- put out of one's miseryKill to end suffering
- put someone out of their miseryEnd suffering through death
- putting someone out of their miseryEnding suffering through death
- misery pornContent glorifying suffering
- misery gutsHabitually gloomy person
- misery memoir