# stingy

/ˈstɪndʒi/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/stingy
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. unwilling to spend

adjective · CEFR B2 · Informal

not wanting to spend money or share things with others.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. a small amount

adjective · CEFR C1 · Informal

describing an amount of something that is too small or not enough.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. able to sting

adjective · CEFR C2 · Informal · Dialect

having a stinger or likely to sting you, like a bee or a plant.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- He is too stingy to buy his friends a drink.
- The company was criticized for being stingy with employee bonuses despite record-breaking annual profits.
- While some viewed his frugality as a virtue, his children often felt he was simply stingy, especially when it came to basic household comforts.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.