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Penurious Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

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penurious

[pɪˈnjʊərɪəs ]

Definitions

Context #1 | Adjective

in a financial context

Extremely poor; poverty-stricken; miserly; stingy.

Synonyms

destitute, miserly, poor, stingy.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
penurious

Use 'penurious' when describing someone who is extremely poor and lacks basic necessities, or when someone is ungenerously unwilling to spend money.

  • The penurious family struggled to afford even the most basic commodities.
  • His penurious nature prevented him from donating to the charity.
poor

Use 'poor' to describe someone who has little money or material possessions. This is a more general and less intense term compared to 'penurious' or 'destitute'.

  • The poor farmer worked day and night to make ends meet.
  • Many children in the poor neighborhood lack access to proper education.
destitute

Use 'destitute' to describe a person or group who is completely without money, food, or home.

  • After the earthquake, many families were left destitute.
  • The old man had been destitute for years, living on the streets.
miserly

Use 'miserly' to describe someone who hoards wealth and spends as little money as possible. This word has a negative connotation.

  • The miserly old man refused to give even a single coin to the beggar.
  • Despite his riches, he lived in a miserly manner, rarely spending money on anything beyond basic needs.
stingy

Use 'stingy' to refer to someone who is unwilling to spend or give money. Similar to 'miserly', this term has a negative connotation.

  • He's so stingy that he wouldn't even buy a cup of coffee for a friend.
  • Her stingy habits made her unpopular among her colleagues.

Examples of usage

  • He led a penurious existence, barely able to afford food and shelter.
  • The penurious old man refused to spend a penny on anything other than the bare necessities.
  • The penurious family struggled to make ends meet on a meager income.
  • She was known for her penurious ways, never treating herself to anything luxurious.
  • Despite his penurious upbringing, he always remained generous towards others.
Context #2 | Adjective

in a general context

Extremely unwilling to part with money; parsimonious.

Synonyms

miserly, parsimonious, stingy, tightfisted.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
penurious

Typically used to describe extreme poverty or frugality driven by necessity rather than choice.

  • The penurious family struggled to make ends meet every month.
  • Despite his penurious childhood, he grew up with a generous heart.
miserly

Describes someone who hoards wealth and spends as little money as possible, usually with a negative connotation of greediness.

  • Scrooge is the epitome of a miserly character in literature.
  • Her miserly habits prevented her from enjoying any luxuries in life.
stingy

Used to describe a person who is unwilling to give or spend, often with a negative tone suggesting meanness.

  • She's so stingy she wouldn't even buy a gift for her best friend.
  • It was stingy of him to leave such a small tip after a fantastic meal.
parsimonious

Denotes excessive frugality or unwillingness to spend money, often with a negative implication of stinginess.

  • His parsimonious approach to business earned him a reputation for being difficult to work with.
  • The town council was criticized for its parsimonious budget cuts that affected public services.
tightfisted

Informal term used to describe someone who is very reluctant to spend money, usually with a negative implication of being overly frugal.

  • He's known to be tightfisted when it comes to donating to charity.
  • As a tightfisted boss, he rarely gave out bonuses or raises.

Examples of usage

  • The penurious businessman refused to invest in any new projects, despite his wealth.
  • She was so penurious that she would rather go without than spend a cent.
  • His penurious nature prevented him from enjoying the finer things in life.
  • Even though he had money, he lived a penurious lifestyle to save every penny.
  • Her penurious habits made her unpopular among her friends.

Translations

To see the translation, please select a language from the options available.

Origin of 'penurious'

The word 'penurious' originated from the Latin word 'penuria', meaning 'want' or 'need'. Over time, it evolved to describe extreme poverty or extreme unwillingness to part with money. The term has been used in English literature to depict characters who are miserly, poverty-stricken, or stingy. 'Penurious' has been a popular choice among writers to emphasize the financial state or character traits of individuals in various contexts.

See also: penury.

Word Frequency Rank

This word's position of #33,244 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.