stingy
adjective
stin·gy ˈstin-jē 
stingier; stingiest
1
: not generous or liberal : sparing or scant in using, giving, or spending
stingy with the salt
stingy employee benefits
2
: meanly scanty or small
stingy portions of meat
stingily
ˈstin-jə-lē
adverb stinginess
ˈstin-jē-nəs
noun 
Synonyms
- cheap
- chintzy
- close
- closefisted
- mean
- mingy
- miserly
- niggard
- niggardly
- parsimonious
- penny-pinching
- penurious
- pinching
- pinchpenny
- spare
- sparing
- stinting
- tight
- tightfisted
- uncharitable
- ungenerous
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
The company was too stingy to raise salaries. until his redemption, Ebenezer Scrooge is the classic example of a very stingy, heartless miser
Recent Examples on the Web With them on the court together, the Cavs had an offensive rating of 109.9 and a stingy 102.0 rating at the other end. 
Chris Fedor, cleveland, 6 Sep. 2022 Jim Leonhard is back for his sixth season as defensive coordinator and UW could again field a stingy unit, if inexperienced players at inside linebacker and safety develop. Jeff Potrykus, Journal Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2022 The defending Division 1 state champion sets its sights on repeating, relying on Gravereaux and Luby to pace a stingy defensive unit. Cam Kerry, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Aug. 2022 The Bulldogs graduated eight of the top nine tacklers from a stingy unit that allowed just 9.4 points per game and posted five shutouts last year. Jason Frakes, The Courier-Journal, 10 Aug. 2022 Because, as coach Erik Spoelstra explained, playing too cautiously can be a dangerous game against a defense as stingy as the Celtics’. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 25 May 2022 On the plus side, the Lions should again be stingy on defense, which will be needed on this road trip. Erick Smith, USA TODAY, 30 Aug. 2022 Senior captain Kacie Benn will anchor the midfield alongside Mathis, with fellow senior captains Paige Maffei (outside back) and Paige Pittorino (goalkeeper) tasked with leading a stingy defense. Cam Kerry, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Aug. 2022 Rising searched for a second equalizer of the match but was limited to just three shots on the night by a stingy Orange County defense and midfield. Partner Content, The Arizona Republic, 13 Aug. 2022 See More
Chris Fedor, cleveland, 6 Sep. 2022 Jim Leonhard is back for his sixth season as defensive coordinator and UW could again field a stingy unit, if inexperienced players at inside linebacker and safety develop. Jeff Potrykus, Journal Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2022 The defending Division 1 state champion sets its sights on repeating, relying on Gravereaux and Luby to pace a stingy defensive unit. Cam Kerry, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Aug. 2022 The Bulldogs graduated eight of the top nine tacklers from a stingy unit that allowed just 9.4 points per game and posted five shutouts last year. Jason Frakes, The Courier-Journal, 10 Aug. 2022 Because, as coach Erik Spoelstra explained, playing too cautiously can be a dangerous game against a defense as stingy as the Celtics’. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 25 May 2022 On the plus side, the Lions should again be stingy on defense, which will be needed on this road trip. Erick Smith, USA TODAY, 30 Aug. 2022 Senior captain Kacie Benn will anchor the midfield alongside Mathis, with fellow senior captains Paige Maffei (outside back) and Paige Pittorino (goalkeeper) tasked with leading a stingy defense. Cam Kerry, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Aug. 2022 Rising searched for a second equalizer of the match but was limited to just three shots on the night by a stingy Orange County defense and midfield. Partner Content, The Arizona Republic, 13 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
perhaps from English dialect *stinge, noun, sting; akin to Old English stingan to sting
First Known Use
1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
stingy
adjective
stin·gy ˈstin-jē
stingier; stingiest
1
: not generous
2
: very small in amount
a stingy portion
stingily
adverb
as in meagerly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- meagerly
- sparely
- niggardly
- insufficiently
- scantily
- skimpily
- shabbily
- abominably
- odiously
- vilely
- miserably
- inferiorly
- egregiously
- grossly
- shoddily
- unspeakably
- flagrantly
- meanly
- sleazily
- scantly
- inappropriately
- naughtily
- vulgarly
- unsuitably
- incorrectly
- reprehensibly
- awfully
- deplorably
- terribly
- inadequately
- horribly
- indecently
- poorly
- intolerably
- dreadfully
- trashily
- abysmally
- damnably
- atrociously
- disastrously
- unsatisfactorily
- unbearably
- horrendously
- deficiently
- detestably
- horrifically
- rottenly
- execrably
- lousily
- bad
- wretchedly
- badly
- unacceptably
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- well
- adequately
- passably
- nicely
- satisfactorily
- acceptably
- fine
- appropriately
- tolerably
- fittingly
- rightly
- decently
- palatably
- okay
- suitably
- correctly
- good
- seemly
- decorously
- felicitously
- all right
- faithfully
- respectably
- meetly
- congruously
- precisely
- ideally
- exactly
- so-so
- gratifyingly
- satisfyingly
- OK