plural thrifts
1
: careful management especially of money
2
: a savings bank or savings and loan association
called also thrift institution
3
: healthy and vigorous growth
4
chiefly Scotland
: gainful occupation
5
: any of a genus (Armeria) of low-growing perennial evergreen herbs of the plumbago family
especially
: a tufted herb (A. maritima) with pink or white flower heads
thrifted; thrifting; thrifts
: to shop for or buy used goods especially at a store that specializes in secondhand merchandise
''My theory is whether you have the money to pay full price or not, why wouldn't you want to get more bang for your fashion buck?'' said Quincy Colman, 41, an habitué of Goodwill, who started thrifting when she was a teenager.—
Patrice J. Williams
Patrice J. Williams"Gen-Z is also very much interested in secondhand shopping. It is intentional and cool to thrift now, whereas in the 1960s and 1970s it was considered counterculture."—Allison Pfingst
Allison Pfingst"But I didn't end up buying the hot $200 dress. … Instead, I thrifted a jumpsuit."—Laura McMullen
Laura McMullenSynonyms
Examples of thrift in a Sentence
Noun
Through hard work and thrift they sent all of their children to college.
through hard work and thrift our father was able to raise the money to put all four of us through college
Recent Examples on the WebAbby Wilson, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2024
Vintage Voyaging: Travelers will opt for unique, secondhand souvenirs
Vacation wardrobes will get a makeover in 2025, as trendy travelers turn vintage voyagers, hitting thrift stores while on holiday to curate a more sustainable suitcase.
—Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Liana Satenstein, Vogue, 13 July 2021
Over the last 10 weeks, as COVID-19 left thrift stores across the world no choice but to shutter their doors, vintage enthusiasts have been forced to discover ways to thrift online.
—Eliza Huber, refinery29.com, 22 May 2020
See all Example Sentences for thrift 
Noun
Bring this mindset into your home by sourcing classic vintage furniture and accessories from your local thrift store or your own family’s collection.
—Abby Wilson, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2024
Vintage Voyaging: Travelers will opt for unique, secondhand souvenirs
Vacation wardrobes will get a makeover in 2025, as trendy travelers turn vintage voyagers, hitting thrift stores while on holiday to curate a more sustainable suitcase.
—Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Verb
Not every bride would thrift a dress for their wedding, but Monica Sallay aka @sartorialscraps had unintentionally bought her wedding dress second-hand a decade before she actually got married.
—Liana Satenstein, Vogue, 13 July 2021
Over the last 10 weeks, as COVID-19 left thrift stores across the world no choice but to shutter their doors, vintage enthusiasts have been forced to discover ways to thrift online.
—Eliza Huber, refinery29.com, 22 May 2020
See all Example Sentences for thrift
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thrift.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near thrift
Cite this Entry
“Thrift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thrift. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
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thrift
noun
: careful management especially of money
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