stingy
gb/stˈɪnd͡ʒi/ us/stˈɪnd͡ʒi/
B2
English
fukar, szűkmarkú, szűkös, csekély
B2
1
Usage pattern:
[someone] is stingy (about/with money)
He’s so stingy that he never tips at restaurants.
Annyira fukar, hogy az éttermekben soha nem ad borravalót.
She’s not rich, but she’s stingy about lending money.
Nem gazdag, de fukar, amikor pénzt kell kölcsönadni.
People complained that the company was stingy with pay raises.
Learner examples
He is stingy with money.
Fukar a pénzzel.
Don’t be stingy—buy a drink for your friend.
Ne légy fukar, hívd meg a barátodat egy italra.
Common mistake:
Do not confuse stingy with stinky (bad smell).
Meaning
unwilling to spend money
Collocations
stingy with money
|stingy about money
|stingy tipper
|stingy with tips
|stingy landlord
|stingy boss
|stingy millionaire
|stingy shopper
|stingy with donations
|stingy when it comes to money
Synonyms
miserly (Stronger and more judgmental; suggests extreme unwillingness to spend.)
|
cheap (More informal; can also mean low price, so context matters.)
|
tight-fisted (Emphasizes refusing to part with money.)
Antonyms
generous (Willing to give or spend freely.)
|
free-spending (Spends money readily, sometimes too readily.)
Themes
money
|personality
|social_life
Definition
not wanting to spend money or give money to others
Unwilling to spend money or give it to other people; not generous with money.
B2
2
Usage pattern:
a stingy [portion/serving/amount]
They served a stingy portion of pasta for the price.
Ennyi pénzért elég szűkös adag tésztát szolgáltak fel.
The benefits package includes only a stingy amount of vacation time.
A juttatási csomag csak nagyon kevés szabadságnapot tartalmaz.
He gave a stingy apology and quickly changed the subject.
Learner examples
The portion was stingy.
Az adag szűkös volt.
They offered a stingy amount of help.
Csak csekély segítséget ajánlottak fel.
Common mistake:
This use describes the amount given (a stingy portion), not a person’s character.
Meaning
too small or insufficient amount
Collocations
a stingy portion
|a stingy serving
|a stingy amount
|a stingy helping
|a stingy slice
|stingy portions
|stingy benefits
|stingy pay rise
|stingy salary increase
|stingy allowance
Synonyms
meager (Neutral to formal; emphasizes that the amount is disappointingly small.)
|
scant (Slightly more formal; emphasizes barely enough.)
|
skimpy (More informal; often suggests unfairness or lack of effort.)
Antonyms
ample (More than enough.)
|
generous (Larger than expected; given freely.)
Themes
food
|daily_life
|quantity
Definition
not enough; smaller than expected
Smaller or less generous than expected; providing too little of something.
Grammar
Dictionary form
stingy
IPA
GB/stˈɪnd͡ʒi/
US/stˈɪnd͡ʒi/
Syllables & stress
stingy (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (stingy)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: stingy
- Comparative: stingier
- Superlative: stingiest
Expressions
stingy with [something]
1/stˈɪnd͡ʒi wˈɪθ sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
not generous in giving something
not giving much of something
Examples
- He’s stingy with compliments, even when people do a great job.
- The guide was stingy with details about what would happen next.
- Don’t be stingy with the cheese—add a little more.
Learner examples
- My manager is stingy with praise.
- Please don’t be stingy with information.
stingy with the truth
1/stˈɪnd͡ʒi wˈɪθ ðə tɹˈuθ/
fixed phrase
not fully honest or open
not telling the whole truth
Examples
- I think he’s being stingy with the truth about where the money went.
- The company was stingy with the truth in its public statement.
Learner examples
- He was stingy with the truth.