niggardly

_niggardly_

Adjective.

Pronunciation and accent: nɪgədlɪ.

Etymology: derived from NIGGARD, with the suffix -ly.

1. Who grudges spending or giving something, or who is parsimonious, by stinting himself or someone else of something.

Antonyms: generous, liberal, munificent, lavish, spendthrift, prodigal, wasteful, profuse, stinting, frugal.

Synonyms: miserly, parsimonious, niggard, penurious, chinchy, unlavish, scrimpy, scrimping, illiberal, unfrugal.

Translation: tacaño, in Spanish; gretto, in Italian; avare, in French.

There is another kind of couple who coddle themselves, and who do so at a cheaper rate and on more spare diet, because they are niggardly and parsimonious; for which reason they are kind enough to coddle their visitors too.

Charles Dickens… Sketches by Boz

It was then surmised that the old man lived entirely by himself, being too niggardly to pay for any assistance.

Frederick Marryat… The Phantom Ship

Mr. Saunders Fairford […], was a man of business of the old school, moderate in his charges, economical and even niggardly in his expenditure, strictly honest in conducting his own affairs and those of his clients.

Walter Scott… Redgauntlet

James ordered an estimate to be made of the cost of such a procession, and found that it would amount to about half as much as he proposed to expend in covering his wife with trinkets. He accordingly determined to be profuse where he ought to have been frugal, and niggardly where he might pardonably have been profuse.

Thomas Macaulay… The History of England

They are most importunate beggars, and covetous possessors, and most niggardly givers; and they consider the slaughter of other people as nothing.

Robert Kerr… Voyages and Travels

This hoard, whatever may have been its precise extent, was too great to be formed by frugality, even under the penurious and niggardly Henry.

James Mackintosh… The history of England

[…] they made us wait a long while, continually begging our bread to give to their children; and they admired and coveted every thing they saw about our servants, as their knives, gloves, purses, and points. But when we excused ourselves from their importunity, alleging that we had a long journey before us, and must not give away those things which were necessary for ourselves, they reviled me as a niggard…

Robert Kerr… Voyages and Travels

-) With the preposition of + noun of what is grudged or reserved:

[…] we were, indeed, by the captain's orders, somewhat niggardly of firewood.

Robert Stevenson… Treasure Island

The Indians, never niggardly of food, brought them supplies as long as their own lasted; but the harvest was not yet ripe, and their means did not match their good-will.

Francis Parkman… Pioneers of France…

Elizabeth […] was niggardly of her money […]. She, therefore, declined in the meantime to send the supplies of money and soldiers which Moray and his associates so earnestly requested.

James Taylor… The pictorial history of Scotland

2. Who grudges himself or to someone else something incorporeal (an act, favour, etc.); who is infrequent or unprofuse in something.

Antonyms: profuse, frequent, liberal, lavish, prodigal, extravagant.

Before the Windsor Castle had anchored, the newspapers were put into his hands containing a report of the two actions, and he had the gratification of acknowledging that his countrymen were not niggardly in the encomiums upon his meritorious conduct.

Frederick Marryat… Newton Forster

-) With the preposition of + noun of what is grudged:

[…] he was by no means niggardly of his testimony, for, to the great amusement of the bench, the bar, and all present, he was no sooner produced, than he began, and continued loudly to vociferate […]

Neville Wood… The ornithologist’s text-book

3. Given or spent either in a grudging manner, or in order to scrimp; resulting from niggardliness; characteristic of a niggard.

Synonyms: scanty, unlavish, niggardly, ungenerous.

Antonyms: munificent, generous, lavish.

I understand from you that Colonel Morley offers to restore the niggardly L200 a year Darrell formerly allowed to me, to be paid monthly or weekly.

Edward Bulwer-Lytton… What Will He Do With It

[…] a niggardly supply of corn.

Francis Parkman… Pioneers of France…

A living, of which Mr. Morland was himself patron and incumbent, of about four hundred pounds yearly value, was to be resigned to his son as soon as he should be old enough to take it; no trifling deduction from the family income, no niggardly assignment to one of ten children.

Jane Austen… Northanger Abbey

4. (Of the manner of giving, spending, etc. something) resulting from niggardliness.

Coco says, […], that his employer is mean in his conduct towards him, and pays his activity and zeal in a very niggardly manner.

Blackwood’s magazine, vol. 59

[…] he would journey to South Norwalk, to purchase the necessary stores for the following seven days, and he soon became well-known to the shopkeepers for the niggardly manner of his dealings. Upon his return his purchases would be carefully locked up in the strong box which he kept in his room.

Allan Pinkerton… Bucholz and the Detectives

[…] as the abandonment of the ship was reduced almost to a certainty, the niggardly manner in which the provisions were doled out, which formed a part that would have to be left behind, appeared to the crew as an act of perverseness […]

Robert Huish… The last voyage…

English words derived from NIGGARD: niggardize, niggardliness, niggardly (adj., adv.), niggardness.