tightwad
Noun: A person who is extremely unwilling to spend money; a miser.
This word is an informal, often humorous or mildly critical term for someone who is very stingy. It describes a person who holds onto their money excessively and avoids spending it even when reasonable or necessary.
- He never buys a round of drinks; he's such a tightwad.
- Don't be a tightwad—it's your turn to pay for lunch.
- My landlord is a notorious tightwad who refuses to fix anything.
The term can be used attributively (like an adjective) before a noun to describe a characteristic of being miserly. * She has a tightwad uncle who reuses tea bags. * His tightwad habits are well-known among his friends.
- Tight-fisted (adjective): Having the characteristic of a tightwad; unwilling to spend money.
- He's too tight-fisted to donate to charity.
- Cheapskate (noun): A very close synonym for 'tightwad', also informal and critical.
- That cheapskate always looks for the cheapest option, regardless of quality.
- Miser
- Skinflint
- Scrooge (a literary reference from Charles Dickens's )
- Penny-pincher
- Spendthrift
- Big spender
- Profligate
While "tightwad" itself is not typically part of a larger idiom, it is conceptually related to several expressions about stinginess: * To be tight with money: To be unwilling to spend money. * He's very tight with his money. * To pinch pennies: To be extremely careful with small amounts of money. * We're pinching pennies to save for a vacation.
- a miserly person