What does stinginess mean?
Stinginess describes a marked unwillingness to spend money, share resources, or help others. It is often associated with hoarding wealth and being overly cautious about expenditure, but it can also describe a reluctance to offer praise, credit, opportunities, or advantages. In everyday use, the word is negative and may suggest miserliness or meanness rather than ordinary thrift. The adjective form, stingy, is more common in conversation and informal writing, while stinginess is often used in formal descriptions of behavior, organizations, or financial practices. Because the word can apply both to literal spending and to figurative generosity, its meaning depends partly on what is being withheld.
nounStinginess is the quality of being unwilling or reluctant to spend money, give resources, or offer help. It can also refer to excessive carefulness or reluctance to give credit or benefit to others.
- Unwillingness or reluctance to spend money, give resources, or provide help.
- Excessive reluctance to give credit, benefit, or advantage to others.
"His stinginess made it difficult for the charity to raise enough money."
"The landlord was criticized for his stinginess in repairing the building."
"Her stinginess with praise embarrassed the hard-working team."
The plural is rare and is mainly used when referring to multiple instances of stinginess.
"The novel explores the stinginesses of several different characters."
Stinginess is not simply having little; it is the active reluctance to share what one has.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does stinginess come from?
Stinginess is derived from the adjective stingy, which developed from the English word sting in the sense of being sharp or painful, and by extension being restrictive or reluctant to give. The word stingy has been in English since the seventeenth century, while the noun formed from it has acquired the specific sense of miserliness. The related forms sting and stinger preserve the underlying idea of a sharp or penetrating effect.
Related word forms
How stinginess is actually used
The word is generally negative and often implies that a person or organization is miserly or excessively careful with money. It is sometimes used figuratively for unwillingness to give praise, opportunities, or credit.