stingy

Everyday

1. (informal) Not willing to spend or share money, food or things; mean with money. tree →
2. (informal) Small in amount: a stingy portion. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday talk and stories, a stingy character does not want to give or share, like Scrooge. In maths with real speech, a stingy person gives the smallest share. Phrases: stingy with money, stingy portions.

Examples

• Don't be stingy — share your sweets! tree →
• The stingy shopkeeper gave nobody a discount. tree →
• The café gave us a stingy little slice of cake. tree →
• Uncle Bob is so stingy he reuses tea bags. tree →
• She's stingy with praise but very fair. tree →
• Scrooge was the stingiest man in town. tree →
• Once upon a time there lived a man called Simon, who was very rich, but at the same time as stingy and miserly as he could be. tree →

Note

Pronounced STIN-jee (soft g), not like sting. In UK English «mean» also means stingy; in the US mean usually means unkind. Synonyms: tight (informal), miserly; opposite: generous.