penurious
English
Etymology
From Medieval Latin pēnūriōsus. See penury from Latin penuria (“want”), related to paene (“scarcely”), c. 1400. Compare French pénurie.
Adjective
penurious (comparative more penurious, superlative most penurious)
- Miserly; excessively cheap.
- The old man died a penurious wretch; eighty-thousand dollars in the mattress and as many holes in the roof.
- Not bountiful; thin; scant.
- The penurious stew would have been more accurately labelled broth.
- Impoverished; wanting for money.
- The poor penurious horde, naught in the cooking pot and naught in the belly.
Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:stingy
- See also Thesaurus:impoverished
- See also Thesaurus:pauper
Antonyms
- See also Thesaurus:spendthrift
Related terms
- penury
Translations
miserly
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