pound-foolish
Wasteful on essentials
Pound-foolish describes someone careless with large sums while being careful with small ones—the opposite of penny-wise.
The full expression is penny-wise and pound-foolish, describing false economy: obsessing over minor savings while ignoring major expenses.
Someone who skips routine car maintenance to save money, then faces an engine replacement, is pound-foolish.
Use up carelessly
- profligateRecklessly extravagant or dissolute
- spendthriftReckless with money
- extravagantExceeding sensible bounds
- frivolousNot worthy of attention
fritter · misuse · dissipation · prodigal · lavish · inefficient · unthrifty · improvidence
Carelessly ignoring danger
- negligentFailing in due care
- carelessInattentive, prone to mistakes
- irresponsibleLacking sense of duty
- incautiousCarelessly unguarded
heedless · rash · impulsive · thoughtless · hasty · improvident · unwise · injudicious
Frugal in minor matters
- penny-pinchingExtreme reluctance to spend
- skimpingProviding less than needed
- underinvestmentInadequate allocation of resources
- underfundingInadequate monetary allocation
misallocation · cheapskate · stinginess · parsimony · niggardly · austerity · cost-cutting · short-termism
squander
Use up carelessly
- profligateRecklessly extravagant or dissolute
- spendthriftReckless with money
- extravagantExceeding sensible bounds
frivolous · fritter · misuse · dissipation · prodigal · lavish · inefficient · unthrifty · improvidence · mismanagement
reckless
Carelessly ignoring danger
- negligentFailing in due care
- carelessInattentive, prone to mistakes
- irresponsibleLacking sense of duty
incautious · heedless · rash · impulsive · thoughtless · hasty · improvident · unwise · injudicious · foolhardy
penny-wise
Frugal in minor matters
- penny-pinchingExtreme reluctance to spend
- skimpingProviding less than needed
- underinvestmentInadequate allocation of resources
underfunding · misallocation · cheapskate · stinginess · parsimony · niggardly · austerity · cost-cutting · short-termism · counterproductive
pound-foolishsees the forest for the trees
Grasps totality despite details
perspicacious · judicious · clear-sighted · far-sighted · sensible
pound, foolish, pounds, pounded, pounding, pounder, fool, fools, foolishly