ungenerous
/'ʌn'dʤenərəs/
Definition
- Adjective:
- Not generous; unwilling to give or share: Describes a person who is reluctant to spend money, give time, or share resources.
- Lacking in kindness or magnanimity; mean-spirited: Describes an attitude or action that is petty, unforgiving, or lacking in noble generosity of spirit.
Usage and Examples
- Describing a person's nature:
- He was criticized for being ungenerous with his praise, never acknowledging his team's hard work.
- An ungenerous landlord refused to make any repairs to the property.
- Describing a specific action or response:
- Her ungenerous offer was far below the item's market value.
- It would be ungenerous not to thank them for their efforts, even if the project failed.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
- "Ungenerous" vs. "Stingy": While both imply reluctance to give, "stingy" is stronger and more critical, often suggesting miserliness. "Ungenerous" can also describe a lack of generosity in spirit, not just money.
- Calling her stingy was too harsh; she was just ungenerous in that particular instance.
- In critical discourse: Used to critique a narrow or petty interpretation.
- The reviewer's ungenerous reading of the novel missed its central themes of compassion.
Variants and Related Words
- Generous (adj): The direct antonym, meaning willing to give and share; kind and magnanimous.
- A generous donation / a generous spirit.
- Generosity (n): The quality of being generous.
- He was known for his great generosity.
Synonyms
- Stingy: Reluctant to spend money; miserly.
- Mean: Unwilling to give or share; small-minded.
- Tightfisted: Not willing to spend or give money.
- Parsimonious: Excessively sparing or frugal.
- Petty: Of little importance; concerned with trivial matters, often in a mean-spirited way.
Antonyms
- Generous
- Charitable
- Magnanimous
- Benevolent
- Open-handed
Idioms and Phrases
- An ungenerous spirit: A character or attitude that is mean-spirited, unforgiving, or lacking in kindness.
- His constant criticism revealed an ungenerous spirit.
- To take an ungenerous view: To interpret something in a petty or overly critical way.
- History has taken an ungenerous view of his early mistakes.
Adjective
-
unwilling to spend
-
she practices economy without being stingy
-
an ungenerous response to the appeal for funds
-
-
lacking in magnanimity
-
it seems ungenerous to end this review of a splendid work of scholarship on a critical note- Times Litt. Sup.
-
a meanspirited man unwilling to forgive
-
Khám phá thêm
Các từ liên quan
Từ đồng nghĩa
Từ trái nghĩa
Từ tương tự
Từ có nhắc đến "ungenerous"
