ˌən-ˈjen-rəs
as in selfish
giving or sharing as little as possible
it is ungenerous for someone of his ample means not to provide more for the care of his aging parents
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 ungenerous
Unkindness and people being ungenerous.
—
Maria Bamford, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2025
At least with Derrick, the shallowness seems intentional, if ungenerous.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 13 June 2025
But, even though there was nothing the slightest bit ungracious or ungenerous about her performance, it was felt more like the audience being asked to come to her.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 26 Apr. 2025
Perhaps most perplexing about Smash, though, is its weirdly cynical, ungenerous take on the Bombshell herself.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ungenerous
Maria Bamford, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2025
At least with Derrick, the shallowness seems intentional, if ungenerous.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 13 June 2025
But, even though there was nothing the slightest bit ungracious or ungenerous about her performance, it was felt more like the audience being asked to come to her.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 26 Apr. 2025
Perhaps most perplexing about Smash, though, is its weirdly cynical, ungenerous take on the Bombshell herself.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ungenerous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ungenerous
Adjective
-
In contrast, his wife, Chandravati, is selfish as a daughter-in-law and disrespects Swasthani, leading to enormous misery for her.—
Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz,
The Conversation,
24 Mar. 2026
-
All because a librarian introduced me to a selfish, spoiled girl who desperately needed a place to belong.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
An assembly of planets in Aries moves through your twelfth house, stirring emotions behind the scenes and asking for careful tending.—
Kirah Tabourn,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026
-
To the begonia collectors out there, Begona Black Velvet, with large leaves that could have fallen from a maple tree, is worth a careful look.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Recall that Huffines unsuccessfully challenged Abbott in the 2022 GOP primary for governor and had some uncharitable things to say about him.—
John C. Moritz,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The only way to get to that conclusion, however, is to make a lot of uncharitable assumptions about Kimmel’s thinking.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
America does not belong to strongmen, greedy billionaires, or those who rule through fear.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
28 Mar. 2026
-
People were making so much money, being greedy, but a squall was coming, one that could morph into a Cat 5 hurricane any minute.—
,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Como had been neck-and-neck with Roma’s miserly backline before shipping four at Inter last Saturday, a chastening defeat that ended an unbeaten run stretching back to the end of August.—
Jack Bantock,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2025
-
In this version, miserly Madame Eleanor is visited by the ghost former business partner Jacob Marley as well as a few other apparitions.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
26 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The financial rewards accrued from streaming and downloading have been parsimonious.—
Thomas Doherty,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Jerry Reinsdorf, who traditionally has been parsimonious with both the Bulls and the ChiSox, isn’t about to kick in another $116 million.—
Dan Freedman,
Forbes.com,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
There’s a cast of wanderers, visionaries, and itinerants, the self-educated and self-published, a long lineage of cranks and outcasts, mostly penurious, always opinionated, stretching away into the mists of pseudohistory.—
Hari Kunzru,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Then the usually penurious Indians suddenly splurged.—
Chuck Murr,
Forbes.com,
19 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Etiquette neither knows nor cares who is generous and who is stingy, and indecisive and rude are not opposites.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The Cyclones took out the tournament’s top spender, Kentucky, with relative ease in the second round, but Iowa State is the stingiest program remaining.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ungenerous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ungenerous. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
