miserly

UK: /ˈmaɪzə^rli/ US: (mī′zər lē)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

mi•ser•ly  (mī′zər lē), adj. 

1. of, like, or befitting a miser;
   penurious;
   stingy;
   niggardly.

• miser + -ly 1585–95

mi′ser•li•ness, n. 
Synonyms

cheap, parsimonious. See stingy. 

Antonyms

generous.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

miserly / ˈmaɪzəlɪ/ adjective

1. of or resembling a miser; avaricious

ˈmiserliness noun

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

mi•ser /ˈmaɪzɚ/   n. [countable]

1. a person who saves money and is reluctant to spend it.

mi•ser•li•ness, n. [uncountable]
mi•ser•ly, adj. See -miser-.

-miser-, root. 

1. -miser- comes from Latin, where it has the meaning "wretched.'' This meaning is found in such words as: commiserate, miser, miserable, miserly, misery.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

mi•ser (mī′zər),n. 

1. a person who lives in wretched circumstances in order to save and hoard money.
2. a stingy, avaricious person.
3. [Obs.] a wretched or unhappy person.

• Latin: wretched
• 1535–45

Synonyms

• 2. skinflint, tightwad, pinchpenny.

Miser, The,  (French, L'Avare), 

1. Literature a comedy (1668) by Molière.