Word
stingy
/ˈstɪndʒi/
Definitions
01unwilling to spend
B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal
adj. not wanting to spend money or share things with others.
adj. unwilling to spend, give, or share; characterized by parsimony or lack of generosity.
“He is so stingy that he never buys a round of drinks for his friends.”
“Despite his immense wealth, the landlord was notoriously stingy when it came to essential building repairs.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02a small amount
C1 · Advanced Informal
adj. describing an amount of something that is too small or not enough.
adj. meager, scant, or insufficient in quantity or size.
“The restaurant served a stingy portion of chips with the main meal.”
“The company offered a stingy pay rise that failed to keep pace with the rising cost of living.”
03able to sting
C2 · Proficiency Informal · Dialect
adj. having a stinger or likely to sting you, like a bee or a plant.
adj. capable of or inclined to inflict a sting; often used to describe insects or nettles.
“Watch out for those stingy nettles in the long grass.”
“The child was terrified of the stingy insects buzzing around the fallen fruit in the orchard.”
Real-World Examples
“Those on big wages not paying their way may seem stingy.” Etymology
Uncertain, possibly from stinge, a dialectal variation of sting (verb).
From sting + -y.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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