penurious

adjective

pe·​nu·​ri·​ous pə-ˈnu̇r-ē-əs How to pronounce penurious (audio)
-ˈnyu̇r-
1
: marked by or suffering from penury
penurious peasants and fisherfolk
2
: given to or marked by extreme stinting frugality
penuriously adverb
penuriousness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for penurious

stingy, close, niggardly, parsimonious, penurious, miserly mean being unwilling or showing unwillingness to share with others.

stingy implies a marked lack of generosity.

a stingy child, not given to sharing

close suggests keeping a tight grip on one's money and possessions.

folks who are very close when charity calls

niggardly implies giving or spending the very smallest amount possible.

the niggardly amount budgeted for the town library

parsimonious suggests a frugality so extreme as to lead to stinginess.

a parsimonious lifestyle notably lacking in luxuries

penurious implies niggardliness that gives an appearance of actual poverty.

the penurious eccentric bequeathed a fortune

miserly suggests a sordid avariciousness and a morbid pleasure in hoarding.

a miserly couple devoid of social conscience

Examples of penurious in a Sentence

The penurious school system had to lay off several teachers. the company's penurious management could not be convinced of the need to earmark more money for research and development
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Even so, the general picture of a mother’s absence and a daughter’s understandable resentment at having had to pick up the maternal slack in penurious conditions comes through loud and clear. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2024 Enormous numbers of them have been uprooted from a satisfactory social position by war, revolution and inflation, and thrust out to seek an uncertain and penurious existence. . . . Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2011 Whatever was going on between the two rich men, the murder investigation presents a profound, perhaps insurmountable challenge to the penurious tropical police force. Nina Burleigh, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 May 2024 Both album and turntable were all the rage, and the Technics was the first quality direct-drive turntable that a penurious college student could afford. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for penurious 

Word History

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of penurious was in 1590

Dictionary Entries Near penurious

Cite this Entry

“Penurious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penurious. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

penurious

adjective
pe·​nu·​ri·​ous pə-ˈn(y)u̇r-ē-əs How to pronounce penurious (audio)
1
: marked by or suffering from penury
2
: extremely stingy : miserly
penuriously adverb
penuriousness noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!