Penurious — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /pə-ˈnu̇r-ē-əs/ pe·nu·ri·ous

Meaning & Definition of Penurious

Penurious (adjective)

  1. marked by or suffering from penury
  2. given to or marked by extreme stinting frugality

Penurious (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. giving or sharing as little as possible

    "the company's penurious management could not be convinced of the need to earmark more money for research and development"

    similar: cheap, chintzy, close, closefisted, mean, mingy, miserly, parsimonious, penny-pinching, pinching, pinchpenny, spare, sparing, stingy, stinting, tight, tightfisted, uncharitable, ungenerous
    related: careful, chary, conserving, economical, economizing, frugal, saving, scrimping, skimping, thrifty, acquisitive, avaricious, avid, coveting, covetous, desirous, grasping, greedy, hoggish, itchy, mercenary, rapacious, selfish, shabby, small, sordid, begrudging, envious, grudging, resentful, inhospitable
    opposite: bounteous, bountiful, charitable, freehanded, generous, liberal, munificent, openhanded, unsparing, unstinting
    near: altruistic, selfless, unselfish, extravagant, free, handsome, lavish, overgenerous, profuse, beneficent, benevolent, hospitable, humanitarian, philanthropic, compassionate, good-hearted, greathearted, kindly, magnanimous, openhearted, thriftless, unthrifty, dissipating, frittering, prodigal, profligate, spendthrift, splurging, squandering, wasteful, wasting

  2. lacking money or material possessions

    "the most penurious members of the community are forced to depend on the services of the food bank"

    similar: beggared, beggarly, broke, destitute, dirt-poor, down-and-out, famished, hard up, impecunious, impoverished, indigent, necessitous, needful, needy, pauperized, penniless, poor, poverty-stricken, skint (chiefly British), threadbare, down on one's luck, out at elbows, out of pocket
    related: deprived, disadvantaged, dispossessed, unaffluent, underprivileged, bankrupt, bankrupted, bust, insolvent, possessionless, ruined, depressed, distressed, hand-to-mouth, hardscrabble, pinched, poorish, reduced, straitened, cash-strapped, low, short, tapped out
    opposite: affluent, deep-pocketed, fat, fat-cat, flush, moneyed, opulent, rich, silk-stocking, wealthy, well-heeled, well-off, well-to-do
    near: comfortable, prosperous

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Penurious

The most common words with a similar meaning to Penurious:

Chiefly British: skint
cheap, chintzy, close, closefisted, mean, mingy, miserly, parsimonious, penny-pinching, pinching, pinchpenny, spare, sparing, stingy, stinting, tight, tightfisted, uncharitable, ungenerous, beggared, beggarly, broke, destitute, dirt-poor, down-and-out, famished, hard up, impecunious, impoverished, indigent, necessitous, needful, needy, pauperized, penniless, poor, poverty-stricken, threadbare, down on one's luck, out at elbows

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Penurious

Words with the opposite meaning of Penurious:

bounteous, bountiful, charitable, freehanded, generous, liberal, munificent, openhanded, unsparing, unstinting, affluent, deep-pocketed, fat, fat-cat, flush, moneyed, opulent, rich, silk-stocking, wealthy, well-heeled, well-off, well-to-do

Related Words for Penurious

careful, chary, conserving, economical, economizing, frugal, saving, scrimping, skimping, thrifty, acquisitive, avaricious, avid, coveting, covetous, desirous, grasping, greedy, hoggish, itchy, mercenary, rapacious, selfish, shabby, small, sordid, begrudging, envious, grudging, resentful

Near Antonyms of Penurious

altruistic, selfless, unselfish, extravagant, free, handsome, lavish, overgenerous, profuse, beneficent, benevolent, hospitable, humanitarian, philanthropic, compassionate, good-hearted, greathearted, kindly, magnanimous, openhearted, thriftless, unthrifty, dissipating, frittering, prodigal, profligate, spendthrift, splurging, squandering, wasteful

Word Forms of Penurious

Derived words: penuriously (adverb), penuriousness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Penurious

First known use: 1590

Frequently Asked Questions about Penurious

What does "Penurious" mean?

"Penurious" means marked by or suffering from penury. As an adjective, it is defined as: marked by or suffering from penury. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Penurious"?

Other words for "Penurious" include cheap, chintzy, close, closefisted, mean, mingy, miserly and parsimonious. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Penurious" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Penurious"?

There are 96 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Penurious". Common alternatives include cheap, chintzy, close, closefisted, mean, mingy, miserly, parsimonious, penny-pinching and pinching.

What is the opposite of "Penurious"?

Antonyms of "Penurious" include bounteous, bountiful, charitable, freehanded, generous, liberal, munificent and openhanded. Near antonyms include altruistic, selfless, unselfish and extravagant.

How do you use "Penurious" in a sentence?

Examples of "Penurious" in a sentence: "the company's penurious management could not be convinced of the need to earmark more money for research and development"; "the most penurious members of the community are forced to depend on the services of the food bank".

Is "Penurious" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Penurious" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Penurious"?

"Penurious" is pronounced /pə-ˈnu̇r-ē-əs/ and divided into syllables as pe·nu·ri·ous.

What is the origin of the word "Penurious"?

First known use: 1590.