scrimp

/skrimp/

Thân thiện

She had to scrimp to save enough money for her trip.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To be very careful about spending money; to use or provide something in a very limited or insufficient way, often to the point of hardship. It implies economizing extremely or being stingy, typically out of necessity.

Usage

• Verb (intransitive): To live or manage by saving money carefully and avoiding any unnecessary expense.
  • They had to scrimp for years to save enough for a house.
• Verb (transitive): To make too small, short, or scanty; to be stingy in providing or using something.
  • The company scrimped on materials, which affected the product's quality.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• "To scrimp and save": A common collocation emphasizing prolonged and careful saving, often for a specific goal.
  • They scrimped and saved for a decade to send their children to college.
• "To scrimp on [something]": To use less of something than is needed or desirable, usually to save money.
  • You shouldn't scrimp on health insurance.

Variants and Related Words

• Scrimpy (adjective): Meager, scant, or barely sufficient.
  • They served a scrimpy portion of food.
• Scrimping (noun/gerund): The act or practice of being very economical.
  • Years of scrimping finally paid off.

Synonyms

• Skimp: To use a barely sufficient or inadequate amount of something. (Often used interchangeably with 'scrimp', though 'skimp' can focus more on the inadequate result, while 'scrimp' focuses more on the frugal behavior.)
• Economize: To spend less money or use resources carefully.
• Pinch pennies: (Idiomatic) To be extremely careful with money.
• Stint: To be sparing or restrictive in providing something.

Antonyms

• Splurge: To spend money freely or extravagantly.
• Lavish: To bestow something in generous or extravagant quantities.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Scratch and scrimp": To manage with great difficulty and extreme frugality. (Note: This is a set phrase, often hyphenated as 'scratch-and-scrimp'.)
  • It was a scratch-and-scrimp existence for the new immigrants.

Học thuật

Verb

1. subsist on a meager allowance
   • scratch and scrimp

Từ đồng nghĩa

• stint
• skimp