Stingy

Stingy is an adjective used to describe someone who is unwilling to part with money or other resources, often to an excessive or petty degree. The term implies a failure to share or assist that goes beyond simple frugality, and it carries a consistently negative judgement. It can refer to monetary behavior or to a reluctance to give non-monetary things such as time, praise, or help.

The word dates to the 14th century in English and is linked to the verb sting, in the sense of withholding or being tight with resources. Its early sense conveyed tightfistedness; over time it became a general label for petty miserliness.

Stingy differs from frugal or thrifty, which describe careful, sensible spending often viewed positively. Stingy emphasizes meanness or a parsimonious disposition. Synonyms include parsimonious, miserly, tightfisted; antonyms include generous, liberal, open-handed. The phrase "stingy with" can modify money, time, praise, or help. For example, "He is stingy with his time" or "She is stingy with compliments" illustrate non-monetary usage.

Stinginess is frequently framed as a character flaw in literature and everyday speech, sometimes eliciting social disapproval or humor. In different contexts, the term may appear with different degrees of negativity, and some speakers might reserve "stingy" for more petty or deliberate withholding.