Word of the Day

: July 13, 2020

parsimonious

adjective par-suh-MOH-nee-us

What It Means

1 : exhibiting or marked by thrift or economy; especially : frugal to the point of stinginess

2 : sparing, restrained

parsimonious in Context

"A Monopoly board sat on a makeshift table in the center of the room, with each player's signature token poised on the Go square: the racing car (Mark), the cannon (Steve), the top hat (me), and a shiny penny (Rob, appropriately enough, since he was known for his parsimonious ways when haggling over deals)." — John Walsh, The Providence Journal, 14 Sept. 2019

"Enter the men: Edmond Rostand (Jason Butler Harner), one of France's greatest young dramatists; Alphonse Mucha (Matthew Saldivar), the Art Nouveau illustrator of Bernhardt's gorgeous posters; and Louis (Tony Carlin), a critic so parsimonious with praise I suppose it's only fair that he's given no surname." — Jesse Green, The New York Times, 25 Sept. 2018

Did You Know?

English isn't stingy when it comes to synonyms of parsimonious. Stingy, close, penurious, and miserly are a few terms that, like parsimonious, suggest an unwillingness to share with others. Stingy implies a marked lack of generosity, whereas close suggests keeping a tight grip on one's money and possessions. Penurious implies frugality that gives an appearance of actual poverty, and miserly suggests avariciousness and a morbid pleasure in hoarding. Parsimonious usually suggests an extreme frugality that borders on stinginess.