frugal en · ADJ
Pronunciation
Etymology
From Middle French, from Latin frugalis (“virtuous, thrifty”). Displaced native Old English spærhende (literally “spare-handed”).
Meanings
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(of money and consumable goods) Careful or wise in expenditure; avoiding waste.
By what a frugal man annually saves, he not only affords maintenance to an additional number of productive hands, for that or the ensuing year, but [also] establishes as it were a perpetual fund for the maintenance of an equal number in all times to come.
1776, Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, Book II, Chapter III:frugal advice
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(of food and supplies) Obtained by or characterized by frugality.
[…] a frugal meal, which consisted of roots and tea,[…]
1762, Oliver Goldsmith, edited by Austin Dobson, The Citizen of the World, volume II, London: J. M. Dent and Co., published 1891, page 48:Pinching and paring he might furnish forth / A frugal board, bare sustenance, no more,[…]
1868, Robert Browning, “Half-Rome” (chapter II), in The Ring and the Book:frugal breakfast
frugal fortune; frugal fare
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more frugal | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most frugal | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Antonyms
lavish · extravagant · spendthrift · simple · prodigal
Deriveds
frugality · infrugal · superfrugal · frugalism · frugalist · frugalize · frugalista · frugally · frugalness · unfrugal
Hypernyms
Relateds
a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush · stingy
Synonyms
husbandly · provident · abstemious · economic · thrifty · prudent · frugal · tightwad · moderate · close with a buck · canny · economical · spary · huswifely · tight · sparing · chary · parsimonious · spareful · cheap · penny-pinching
Translations (70)
ga spárálach (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · az yığımcıl (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · fa صرفهجو (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · bg икономичен (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · fi säästäväinen (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · fr frugal (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · no måteholden (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · mk штедлив (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · nrf mênagi (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · ka მომჭირნე (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · el οικονόμος (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · sh štedljiv (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · ang spærhende (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · pt frugal (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · cs skromný (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · az qənaətcil (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · da sparsommelig (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · bg пестелив (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · hu takarékos (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · pl oszczędny (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · gl frugal (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · sv sparsam (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · fi nuuka (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · sv frugal (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · nl zuinig (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · kmr tima (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · vi tằn tiện (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · io frugala (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · ru бережли́вый (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · ja 倹しい (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · de schlicht (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · el φειδωλός (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · nb nøysom (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · pa ਕਮਖਰਚ (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · la frūgālis (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · de sparsam (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · de genügsam (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · cmn 節儉 /节俭 (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · fa اقتصادی (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · nl spaarzaam (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · eo ŝparema (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · da mådeholden (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · da nøjsom (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · uk бережли́вий (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · he חסכנות (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · la parcus (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · be ашчадны (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · es frugal (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · kmr destgirtî (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · cy darbodus (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · ca frugal (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · ja 質素な (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · nl frugaal (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · ro frugal (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · el λιτός (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · sv återhållsam (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · uk оща́дливий (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · hu beosztó (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · uk еконо́мний (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · sk sporovlivý (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · nb sparsommelig (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · cs spořivý (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · ja 倹約な (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · it frugale (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · uk заоща́дливий (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · sk úsporný (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · cy cynnil (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · tr tutumlu (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · sk skromný (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty) · no frugal (economical, avoiding waste, thrifty)