# thrift

/ˈθɹɪft/ (US) · /θɹˈɪft/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/thrift
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. saving money

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the habit of being careful with money and avoiding waste.

For teachers: the quality of using money and other resources carefully and not wastefully. Uncountable in this sense.

- Through hard work and thrift, the family managed to save enough for a house.
- The government's new economic policy encourages personal thrift as a means of reducing household debt across the nation.

### 2. a type of bank

noun · CEFR C2 · American English · Technical

a type of bank that focuses on savings and home loans.

For teachers: a financial institution, such as a savings and loan association, that primarily accepts consumer deposits and provides home mortgages.

- He kept his college savings in a local thrift rather than a large national bank.
- The collapse of several regional thrifts in the late 1980s led to significant changes in federal banking regulations.

### 3. a plant

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a small plant with pink or white flowers that grows near the sea.

For teachers: any of various plants of the genus Armeria, especially the sea pink, typically found in coastal or mountainous areas.

- Bright pink thrift grew in the cracks of the rocks along the cliff.
- The botanist noted that the thrift was thriving despite the harsh, salty winds of the Atlantic coast.

### 4. shopping second-hand

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to shop at stores that sell used clothes and items for a low price.

For teachers: to shop for or purchase items at a thrift store or second-hand shop. Often used intransitively.

- We spent the whole Saturday afternoon thrifting for vintage jackets downtown.
- She managed to thrift a designer coat for a fraction of its original retail price at the local charity shop.

## Examples

- Her parents taught her the value of thrift from a young age.
- Through hard work and extreme thrift, the couple managed to pay off their mortgage in just five years.
- The traditional virtues of industry and thrift have been somewhat overshadowed by a modern economic model that relies heavily on consumer credit and immediate gratification.

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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.