Closefisted

Closefisted is an adjective describing a person who is unwilling to spend money, often to an excessive or petty degree. A closefisted individual tends to hoard money and avoid expenditures that others might consider prudent. The term generally carries a pejorative connotation, suggesting stinginess or avarice rather than prudent thrift.

Etymology and usage: from close (tight, shut) + fist; earliest attestations in early modern English; the form closefisted became common in the 16th–17th centuries; now considered somewhat archaic or literary in modern English. It commonly appears in descriptive writing, satire, or colloquial speech.

Related terms: closefisted is similar to miserly, stingy, parsimonious, tightfisted, and penny-pinching. Antonyms include generous, liberal, munificent. In usage, you might encounter phrases like “a closefisted landlord” or “a closefisted approach to budgeting.” Cultural note: while thrift is valued in some contexts, closefistedness is usually framed negatively in modern prose and discourse.