thrift

/θrift/

Thân thiện

A gardener carefully plants thrift in a sunny rock garden.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • The quality or practice of using money and other resources carefully and not wastefully: "Thrift" refers to the habit of being economical and avoiding unnecessary expenditure.
   • A plant of the genus Armeria: "Thrift" is also the common name for a type of small, sun-loving, evergreen perennial plant with round flower heads.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Economy):
  • Her thrift allowed her to save enough money for a new car.
  • The family's thrift was evident in their modest but well-maintained home.
• Noun (Plant):
  • The pink thrift grew beautifully along the coastal path.
  • We planted sea thrift in the rock garden.

Advanced Usage

• "Thrift" as a virtue: Often used in a positive sense to describe a prudent and responsible character trait.
  • In his speech, the mayor praised the thrift of the previous generation.
• "Thrift" in compound terms: While the core word is used alone, it forms the basis for related terms like "thriftiness" (the quality of being thrifty) and "thrift shop" (a store selling second-hand goods).

Variants and Related Words

• Thrifty (adj): Characterized by or showing thrift; economical.
  • He is very thrifty with his monthly budget.
• Thriftiness (n): The quality of being thrifty.
  • Her thriftiness is admired by her friends.
• Thrift shop / Thrift store (n): A shop that sells used goods, often for charity.
  • She found a vintage jacket at the thrift store.

Synonyms

• Frugality: The quality of being economical with resources.
• Economy: Careful management of resources to avoid waste.
• Parsimony (can have a negative connotation of excessive stinginess): Extreme unwillingness to spend money.

Antonyms

• Extravagance: Lack of restraint in spending money or using resources.
• Wastefulness: Using or expending something carelessly or to no purpose.
• Profligacy: Reckless extravagance or wastefulness.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Penny-wise and pound-foolish": This idiom describes a false or short-sighted thrift, where someone is careful with small amounts but wasteful with large sums. It contrasts with genuine, wise thrift.
  • Skipping regular car maintenance to save money is being penny-wise and pound-foolish.

Học thuật

Noun

1. extreme care in spending money; reluctance to spend money unnecessarily
2. any of numerous sun-loving low-growing evergreens of the genus Armeria having round heads of pink or white flowers

Từ đồng nghĩa

• parsimony
• parsimoniousness
• penny-pinching