niggardly
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Contents |
[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Adjective
niggardly (comparative more niggardly, superlative most niggardly)
- (now rare) Withholding for the sake of meanness; stingy, miserly.
- 1958, John Kenneth Galbraith, The Affluent Society (1998 edition), ISBN 9780395925003, p. 186:
- This 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 (1998 edition), ISBN 9780395925003, p. 186:
[edit] Synonyms
- miserly, stingy.
- See also Wikisaurus:stingy
[edit] Translations
[edit] Adverb
niggardly (comparative more niggardly, superlative most niggardly)
- (now rare) In a parsimonious way; sparingly, stingily.
- 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, New York 2001, p. 105:
- because many families are compelled to live niggardly, exhaust and undone by great dowers, none shall be given at all, or very little [...].
- 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, New York 2001, p. 105:
[edit] Usage notes
- Use of this word is vanishingly rare in the United States, and it is likely to be misunderstood. Some people have found this term offensive, because it looks or sounds like the term nigger. The two words are unrelated. See also Wikipedia:Niggardly.
