Definition

1. Noun:
   • A selfish person who is unwilling to give or spend: A "skinflint" is a person who is extremely stingy or miserly, hoarding money and avoiding any expenditure, even when reasonable or necessary.

Usage

• The word "skinflint" is a noun used to describe a person characterized by extreme parsimony. It is a critical and often humorous or derogatory term. It is typically used in informal contexts to criticize someone's lack of generosity.

Examples

• Noun:
  • My uncle is such a skinflint that he reuses teabags to save money.
  • The old skinflint refused to contribute to the office gift, even though it was for his own secretary.

Advanced Usage

• The term often implies that the person's stinginess is excessive and noticeable to others, going beyond simple frugality.
• It can be used in a figurative sense to describe institutions or entities perceived as excessively cheap.
  • The council was accused of being a bunch of skinflints for cutting the library's budget.

Variants and Related Words

• Miser (n): A person who hoards wealth and lives miserably to avoid spending. (Similar to "skinflint," but may imply living in squalor.)
• Scrooge (n): A person who is miserly and lacks Christmas spirit; derived from Charles Dickens's character Ebenezer Scrooge. (A cultural synonym for "skinflint.")
• Tightwad (n): (Informal) A person who is unwilling to spend money. (Very close in meaning and register to "skinflint.")
• Penny-pincher (n): (Informal) A person who is excessively careful with money.

Synonyms

• Miser
• Niggard (archaic/literary)
• Cheapskate (informal)
• Tightwad (informal)

Antonyms

• Spendthrift: A person who spends money in an extravagant, irresponsible way.
• Philanthropist: A person who seeks to promote the welfare of others, especially by the generous donation of money.
• Generous person

Related Idioms

• "As tight as a skinflint": An expression emphasizing extreme stinginess.
  • He's as tight as a skinflint; good luck getting him to buy a round of drinks.
• While not a phrasal verb, the concept is central to idioms like "pinch pennies" (to be very careful with money) and "tight-fisted" (unwilling to spend money).

Noun

1. a selfish person who is unwilling to give or spend