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niggardliness

niggardliness

9.9
Extreme unwillingness to give or spend money
  • noun
  • /ˈnɪɡərdlinəs/
  • Archaic
translation icon : tacañería

Examples

  • As C. Vann Woodward observed, "Cheapness, even niggardliness, under this tutelage became widely accepted as the criterion of good government...

    Academic text (2017)
  • Oh Lord, I seek thy refuge from anxiety and grief, and I seek thy refuge from lack of strength and laziness, and I seek thy refuge from cowardice and niggardliness, and the overpowering of debt and the oppressions of men.

    Academic text (2015)
  • His niggardliness made it difficult for his friends to rely on him during tough times.

  • The company's niggardliness in budget allocations hindered meaningful employee benefits.

  • Her niggardliness was evident when she refused to share even the smallest amount of food.

Synonyms

parsimony
vsniggardliness
2 9.9

A strong habit of not spending money or using resources

is the same idea but expressed in a formal abstract noun
meanness
vsniggardliness
2 6.7

Not willing to spend money or share things

is the same lack of generosity described in formal terms
penny-pinching
vsniggardliness
  • Informal
1 7.5

Not willing to spend much money

is similar but expressed as a more formal, extreme term
stinginess
vsniggardliness
1 6.8

A habit of not wanting to give or spend money

is a stronger, more formal label for that unwillingness
miserliness
vsniggardliness
1 8.2

Not wanting to spend money, even on small things you need

frames the same extreme reluctance in formal terms
niggardness
vsniggardliness
  • Archaic
9.9

Not wanting to spend money or share things

is the formal term for that same extreme stinginess
parsimoniousness
vsniggardliness
9.9

A strong dislike of spending money or using things

is the same sense but in a slightly different formal form
penuriousness
vsniggardliness
  • Formal
9.9

A strong unwillingness to spend money

is a formal label pointing to that same extreme thriftiness
tightfistedness
vsniggardliness
  • Offensive
8.6

Being unwilling to spend money, even when needed

is the same extreme reluctance named in a more formal way
minginess
vsniggardliness
  • UK
9.9

Not wanting to spend money or share with others

is the same stinginess but in more formal wording
tightness
vsniggardliness
  • Offensive
8.8

Not willing to spend money or give things to others

is the same extreme unwillingness but framed in formal language
closeness
vsniggardliness
  • Archaic
8.6

Refusal to spend money or share with others

is the specific formal expression for that same extreme stinginess

Antonyms

128 2.1

Being kind and ready to give money, time, or help to others

munificence
  • Formal
1 9.9

A very generous giving of money or gifts

How Stingy

niggardliness
  • Archaic
9.9
miserliness
1 8.2
stinginess
1 6.8
frugality
8 5.8
generosity
128 2.1

Surface Forms

niggardliness singular

Morphology

niggardliness = niggardly (semi-transparent) = niggard + ly + ness

The noun is formed from the adjective 'niggardly' by adding '-ness', but the base terms are rare/archaic and may be unfamiliar or socially sensitive, so learners may not reliably infer meaning.

Etymology

Niggardliness comes from the old word niggard, which meant 'stingy' and was used long ago in English and Norse. A helpful thing to remember is that it is not related to the racial slur that sounds similar; it simply describes someone very 'mean with money'. So, niggardliness means extreme 'stinginess'.