What does tightwad mean?
Tightwad is an informal North American noun for a person who is excessively stingy with money. It typically carries a derogatory or teasing tone and is stronger than merely careful: the word implies reluctance to spend even when spending would be reasonable, fair, or generous. It is often applied to someone known for refusing to contribute, tip generously, or share costs, and the criticism may be comic or severe according to context. The compound formed from tight and wad, a word for a small bundle or roll of money, pictures a person clutching cash rather than letting it go. Although it can describe any miserly person, it has a particularly familiar, character-driven quality, so writers usually reserve it for informal commentary rather than formal reports. It is also useful when the object of stinginess is specifically money, since it distinguishes habitual miserliness from an ordinary reluctance to make a purchase. The related phrase "tightwad mentality" describes a broader pattern of penny-pinching behavior.
nounAn excessively stingy person, especially one who refuses to spend or share money.
- A miserly person who is unwilling to spend or share money.
"Their landlord was a notorious tightwad who replaced every broken window with cardboard."
"He refused to replace the torn sofa because he was such a tightwad."
"The company hired a competent accountant but, according to the staff, a hopeless tightwad."
The regular plural is used when referring to more than one stingy person.
"The two tightwads argued over who should pay for parking."
A tightwad is literally a money wad held too tightly—an old joke encoded in the word itself.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tightwad come from?
Tightwad is a North American compound formed from tight and wad in the early twentieth century. Wad could mean a small bundle or roll, especially of money, so the compound originally pictured a person holding money tightly rather than spending it. Its figurative sense as a stingy or miserly person soon became the established modern meaning.
How tightwad is actually used
This is an informal and usually derogatory word, although it can be used humorously. It is chiefly North American; British speakers may understand it but generally prefer terms such as "miser" or "cheapskate."