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niggardly

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adverb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective niggardly contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of niggardly are close, miserly, parsimonious, penurious, and stingy. While all these words mean "being unwilling or showing unwillingness to share with others," niggardly implies giving or spending the very smallest amount possible.

the niggardly amount budgeted for the town library

When can close be used instead of niggardly?

Although the words close and niggardly have much in common, close suggests keeping a tight grip on one's money and possessions.

folks who are very close when charity calls

When is it sensible to use miserly instead of niggardly?

The meanings of miserly and niggardly largely overlap; however, miserly suggests a sordid avariciousness and a morbid pleasure in hoarding.

a miserly couple devoid of social conscience

Where would parsimonious be a reasonable alternative to niggardly?

The synonyms parsimonious and niggardly are sometimes interchangeable, but parsimonious suggests a frugality so extreme as to lead to stinginess.

a parsimonious lifestyle notably lacking in luxuries

When could penurious be used to replace niggardly?

While in some cases nearly identical to niggardly, penurious implies niggardliness that gives an appearance of actual poverty.

the penurious eccentric bequeathed a fortune

When would stingy be a good substitute for niggardly?

The words stingy and niggardly can be used in similar contexts, but stingy implies a marked lack of generosity.

a stingy child, not given to sharing

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of niggardly
Adjective
Many Chileans are angry about the country’s unequal distribution of wealth and power, about niggardly pensions (for which people are supposed to save themselves) and about long waiting times for doctors’ visits and poor schools. The Economist, 25 Dec. 2019 To tap one of the country’s two largest and most niggardly mines is hard enough. The Economist, 3 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for niggardly
Adjective
  • Chrissy made a predictably miserly offer of $230,000, and obviously David did not take it.
    Laura Bradley, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2025
  • Up to then, Wrexham had by far the most miserly defence in League One after conceding just 11 goals in 19 league games — five better than Birmingham City and Huddersfield Town.
    Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Details of who makes up the DOGE staff have been scarce despite the intense media attention on the team's efforts.
    Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
  • As a rule, if rain is scarce, a crepe myrtle needs two to three gallons of water per inch of trunk diameter per week.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • These concerns underscore the need for careful consideration of privacy rights when deploying such technology.
    Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, Fox News, 15 Mar. 2025
  • Behind the Nissan Leaf, a driver of an Audi was having none of this careful robot driving malarkey and overtook us both at speed and clearly with some frustration.
    Carlton Reid, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The trend left a lasting impact on Marchand and others in her generation who were left with sparse, barely-there brows.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Prevent seeds from establishing by maintaining a healthy lawn, stop seed germination with pre-emergent herbicides, Maintain a Healthy Lawn Dandelions thrive in thin, sparse lawns and garden beds.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Best Luggage and Travel Bags Deals The online retailer wasn’t being stingy with its luggage deals.
    Rylee Johnston, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2025
  • Seattle is typically stingy with first-round grades, and this may be another year in which the team’s board has maybe a dozen or so prospects with Round 1 grades.
    Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Some have felt conflicted, but after decades without success and 14 years of soulless drudgery under Mike Ashley’s parsimonious ownership, many were willing to accept anything for the promise or even just the hope of better times.
    Oliver Kay, The Athletic, 19 Mar. 2025
  • His father was intensely parsimonious as well, and once tried to build a front fence by hammering bookshelves together.
    Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • But the opening scene underlines just how much Joel’s rash, deadly, selfish, ferociously loving decision hangs over these beloved characters.
    Alison Herman, Variety, 7 Apr. 2025
  • This is a challenging time that takes us out of our individual selfish comfort.
    Frida Guiza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • And Amanda Marsalis and April Blair are some of my closest friends now.
    Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Sign up for our weekly newsletter that goes beyond the livestream, offering a closer look at the trends and figures shaping the ETF market.
    Eric Rosenbaum, CNBC, 17 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Niggardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/niggardly. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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