People who are frugal or who live frugal lives do not eat much or spend much money on themselves.
She lives a frugal life.
Synonyms: thrifty, sparing, careful, prudent More Synonyms of frugal
frugalityuncountable noun
We must practise the strictest frugality and economy.
Synonyms: thrift, economy, conservation, moderation More Synonyms of frugal
frugallyadverb [ADVERB with verb]
We lived fairly frugally.
He frugally saved various bits of the machine in carefully marked boxes.
2. adjective
A frugal meal is small and not expensive.
The diet was frugal: cheese and water, rice and beans.
More Synonyms of frugal
frugal in British English
(ˈfruːɡəl)
adjective
1.
practising economy; living without waste; thrifty
2.
not costly; meagre
Derived forms
frugality (fruˈgality) or frugalness (ˈfrugalness)
noun
frugally (ˈfrugally)
adverb
Word origin
C16: from Latin frūgālis, from frūgī useful, temperate, from frux fruit
frugal in American English
(ˈfrugəl)
adjective
1.
not wasteful; not spending freely or unnecessarily; thrifty; economical
2.
not costly or luxurious; inexpensive or meager
a frugal meal
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈthrifty
Derived forms
frugality (fruˈgality) (fruˈgæləti)
nounWord forms: pluralfruˈgalities
frugally (ˈfrugally)
adverb
Word origin
L frugalis < frugi, fit for food, hence proper, worthy, frugal, orig. dat. of frux (gen. frugis), fruits, produce: for IE base see UNRESOLVED CROSS REF
Examples of 'frugal' in a sentence
frugal
MONEY : Your frugal nature is reinforced but you also spring financial surprises!
The Sun (2017)
She lives a frugal life and expects us to do the same.
The Sun (2012)
Nor was he leading a frugal life.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
It was caused by an ancient electric fire on which he cooked his frugal meals.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
And often people interpret its meaning as simply taking good care of what we have or being frugal with money.
Christianity Today (2000)
He was also frugal with money.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
If you live a frugal life and put some money away for your old age, you get hammered.
The Sun (2012)
I think this jam reflects her good diet, frugal upbringing and making the most of seasonal vegetables.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
When you live a frugal life like me, that's a lot.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
A retired railway worker who lived a frugal life in a council flat and only went away on coach trips has left 1.1 million to charity.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
In other languages
frugal
British English: frugal ADJECTIVE
People who are frugal or who live frugal lives do not eat much or spend much money on themselves.
She lives a frugal life.
American English: frugal
Brazilian Portuguese: frugal
Chinese: 俭朴的
European Spanish: parco
French: frugal
German: genügsam
Italian: frugale
Japanese: 質素な
Korean: 검소한
European Portuguese: frugal
Latin American Spanish: parco
Chinese translation of 'frugal'
frugal
(ˈfruːɡl)
adj
[person]节(節)俭(儉)的 (jiéjiǎn de)
[meal]廉价(價)的 (liánjià de)
1 (adjective)
Definition
economical in the use of money or resources
She lives a frugal life.
Synonyms
thrifty
My mother taught me to be thrifty.
sparing
I've not been sparing with the garlic.
careful
Train your children to be careful with their pocket-money.
prudent
In private, she is prudent and even frugal.
provident
parsimonious
the stereotype of the dour and parsimonious Scotsman
abstemious
They want to live a quiet, abstemious life.
penny-wise
saving
cheeseparing
Opposites
excessive
,
lavish
,
luxurious
,
extravagant
,
wasteful
,
prodigal
,
profligate
,
spendthrift
,
imprudent
2 (adjective)
Definition
meagre and inexpensive
My diet was frugal.
Synonyms
meagre
economical
As taxpayers we should be able to assume that the government is economical with our money.
niggardly
Officials say the EU is being particularly niggardly with these funds.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of abstemious
Definition
taking very little alcohol or food
They want to live a quiet, abstemious life.
Synonyms
temperate,
sparing,
moderate,
sober,
austere,
frugal,
ascetic,
self-denying,
abstinent,
continent
in the sense of careful
Train your children to be careful with their pocket-money.
Synonyms
prudent,
sparing,
economical,
canny,
provident,
frugal,
thrifty
in the sense of economical
Definition
(of a person) spending money carefully and sensibly
As taxpayers we should be able to assume that the government is economical with our money.
Synonyms
thrifty,
sparing,
careful,
prudent,
provident,
frugal,
parsimonious,
scrimping,
economizing
Synonyms of 'frugal'
frugal
Explore 'frugal' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of niggardly
Definition
not generous
Officials say the EU is being particularly niggardly with these funds.
Synonyms
stingy,
mean,
avaricious,
ungenerous,
close,
near (informal),
sparing,
grudging,
mercenary,
frugal,
parsimonious,
penurious,
tightfisted,
Scrooge-like,
tight-arse (taboo, slang),
tight-arsed (taboo, slang),
tight-ass (US, taboo, slang),
tight-assed (US, taboo, slang),
snoep (South Africa, informal),
tight as a duck's arse (taboo, slang)
in the sense of parsimonious
the stereotype of the dour and parsimonious Scotsman