close-fisted

A close-fisted man refused to give a coin to the street musician.

Definition

Adjective: unwilling to spend money; miserly or stingy.

Usage Examples

• (The landlord was stingy and unwilling to spend money on repairs.)
• (Her uncle was miserly, giving a very small gift.)
• (Stingy partners are not generous in sharing resources.)

Advanced Usage

• "close-fisted with one's praise": unwilling to give compliments or approval.
  • The critic was close-fisted with praise, rarely giving a positive review. (The critic was stingy in offering approval.)

Variants and Related Words

• Close-fistedness (noun): the quality or state of being miserly.
  • His close-fistedness made him unpopular among friends. (His stinginess caused social problems.)

Synonyms

• Stingy: unwilling to give or spend; ungenerous.
• Miserly: characterized by extreme reluctance to spend money.
• Parsimonious: excessively unwilling to spend money or use resources.
• Penny-pinching: excessively careful with money; frugal to a fault.

Related Idioms

• Tight-fisted: having a firm grip on one's money; very reluctant to spend.
  • The tight-fisted boss never gave raises. (The boss was stingy with salaries.)
• Cheapskate: a person who is very stingy or miserly.
  • He's such a cheapskate that he reuses tea bags. (He is extremely frugal.)