tight budget
10
2.9
- noun
:
presupuesto ajustado
- Within the constraints of a tight budget, NYC was able to implement the changes outlined herein while reducing its deficit.
- a tight budget year
- times of tight budget
Examples
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Living on a tight budget, he learned to cook meals at home instead of eating out.
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I'm on a very tight budget...
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We're working on a tight budget.
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The majority of students are living on a tight budget, which is far from easy.
Blog text (4) -
As a result, she was operating on a tight budget.
Fiction book (1999) -
That sounds great, but some of the guys are on tight budgets.
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I'm on a tight budget.
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No one reading this article needs to be told that we have all been suffering from tight budgets.
Academic text (1994) -
We continue to face tight budgets in education in an uncertain economy.
Academic text (2013) -
The problems of increased enrollment and tight budgets have resulted in increased class sizes.
Academic text (1990)
Synonyms
23
5.5
A situation when money problems make it hard to manage things
8
5.6
Doing something with very little money
5
3.9
A small amount of money for a project or event
4
4.0
A limit on how much money you can spend
A very small amount of money to spend on things
A person who has little money and cannot buy basic things
Antonyms
How Limited
10
2.9
32
3.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'tight' (restricted, limited) modifies 'budget' (a plan/amount of money), so together they denote a budget with little money available. This usage of 'tight' in the sense of 'limited' is common in financial contexts and has close equivalents across many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Tight budget may come from the image of a belt being pulled in or clothes that feel tight when there is little money, with budget meaning your plan for money; one popular idea says people 'tighten their belts' to spend less. So, if your budget is tight, you have only a 'small amount of money' to spend.