Miserly

Pronunciation: /ˈmaɪzərli/

Definitions of miserly

adjective having or showing a lack of generosity; stingy

Example Sentences

A1 He is very miserly and never likes to spend money.

A2 My grandmother is quite miserly when it comes to buying new clothes.

B1 The miserly old man refused to donate any money to charity.

B2 Despite his wealth, he remained miserly and refused to help his family members in need.

C1 The CEO's miserly attitude towards employee benefits led to low morale in the company.

C2 Her miserly behavior towards her friends eventually caused them to drift apart.

Examples of miserly in a Sentence

formal The miserly old man refused to donate any money to the charity.

informal My neighbor is so miserly, he never buys anything new.

slang Don't be so miserly, just pitch in for the pizza.

figurative Her miserly attitude towards sharing her ideas stifled the creativity of the team.

Grammatical Forms of miserly

• past tense: was miserly
• plural: miserlies
• comparative: more miserly
• superlative: most miserly
• present tense: is miserly
• future tense: will be miserly
• perfect tense: has been miserly
• continuous tense: is being miserly
• singular: miserly
• positive degree: miserly
• infinitive: to be miserly
• gerund: being miserly
• participle: miserly

Origin and Evolution of miserly

First Known Use: 1500 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'miserly' originated from the Middle English word 'miser', which came from the Latin word 'misellus' meaning wretched or pitiable.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'miserly' has retained its original meaning of being stingy or excessively frugal, but has also taken on connotations of being greedy or selfish in modern usage.