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⇱ miserly - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

miserly

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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈmaɪzərli/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(mī′zər lē)


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
mi•ser•ly  (mī′zər lē),USA pronunciation adj. 
  1. of, like, or befitting a miser;
    penurious;
    stingy;
    niggardly.
  • miser + -ly 1585–95
mi′ser•li•ness, n. 
    cheap, parsimonious. See stingy. 
    generous.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
miserly /ˈmaɪzəlɪ/ adj
  1. of or resembling a miser; avaricious
ˈmiserliness n
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
mi•ser /ˈmaɪzɚ/USA pronunciation   n. [countable]
  1. a person who saves money and is reluctant to spend it.
mi•ser•li•ness, n. [uncountable]
mi•ser•ly, adj. See -miser-.

-miser-, root. 
    1. -miser- comes from Latin, where it has the meaning "wretched.'' This meaning is found in such words as: commiserate, miser, miserable, miserly, misery.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
mi•ser (mī′zər),n. 
  1. a person who lives in wretched circumstances in order to save and hoard money.
  2. a stingy, avaricious person.
  3. [Obs.]a wretched or unhappy person.
  • Latin: wretched
  • 1535–45
    2. skinflint, tightwad, pinchpenny.
Miser, The,  (French, L'Avare),USA pronunciation 
  1. Literaturea comedy (1668) by Molière.

'miserly' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
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