niggardly en · ADJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /ˈnɪɡədli/ (UK)
- (US) audio
- /ˈnɪɡɚdli/ (US)
Etymology
Etymology tree English niggard Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-West Germanic *-līk Old English -līċ Middle English -ly English -ly English niggardly From niggard + -ly (adjectival suffix).
Meanings
-
Withholding for the sake of meanness; stingy, miserly.
They were not niggardly, these tramps, and he who had money did not hesitate to share it among the rest.
1919, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, “chapter 47”, in The Moon and Sixpence, [New York, N.Y.]: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers […], →OCLC:[W]here the owner of the house will be bountiful, it is not for the steward to be niggardly.
1609, Joseph Hall, (paraphrasing Ambrose? in) "No Peace with Rome", in Josiah Pratt (editor), The Works of the Right Reverend Father in God, Joseph Hall, D. D., Vol. IX. Polemical Works, London, (1808), page 57This manifests itself in an implacable tendency to provide an opulent supply of some things and a niggardly yield of others.
1958, John Kenneth Galbraith, The Affluent Society, published 1998, →ISBN, page 186:
- Conceding few runs (of a bowler).
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most niggardly | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more niggardly | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Deriveds
niggardlily · niggardliness · unniggardly
Synonyms
parsimonious · cheeseparing · chintzy · stingy · scrooge-like · niggardly · miserly · penny-pinching · nipcheese · penurious · narrow-fisted · swear · peddling · cheap · stingy · still got one's communion money · penny-wise · shabby · tight-fisted · close-fisted · scrubby · close · close as wax · as tight as Dick's hatband · illiberal · ungenerous · tighter than Dick's hatband · miserable · miserly · tight as a tick · mean · ungiving · tight
Translations (35)
ang hnēaw (withholding) · bg свидлив (withholding) · fr mesquin (withholding) · ga sprionlaithe (withholding) · de geizig (withholding) · nl gierig (withholding) · fi itara (withholding) · fr pingre (withholding) · es (rehuso) malicioso (withholding) · ga ceachartha (withholding) · bg стиснат (withholding) · fi saita (withholding) · sv gnidig (withholding) · cs lakotný (withholding) · ru жадный (withholding) · cmn 吝嗇 /吝啬 (withholding) · cmn 摳門 /抠门 (withholding) · sv snål (withholding) · cs skoupý (withholding) · ru скаредный (withholding) · fi nuuka (withholding) · sv knusslig (withholding) · nl krenterig (withholding) · izh kuiva (withholding) · id kikir (withholding) · ru скупой (withholding) · ar بَخِيل (withholding) · fi pihi (withholding) · mi matewhēngoi (withholding) · fr avare (withholding) · mi matatoua (withholding) · cmn 摳 /抠 (withholding) · cmn 小氣 /小气 (withholding) · pl skąpy (withholding) · sv njugg (withholding)