SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
parsimonious
adjective
Extremely unwilling to spend or use resources, often excessively so.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Excessively unwilling to spend
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topIn this sense parsimonious is critical; frugal and economical usually praise avoiding waste. Scientific parsimony is a separate use.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See parsimonious in use
The parsimonious owner resisted replacing even the broken chairs.
After accepting the project, Noor made a provident plan that set aside funds for replacement supplies and a quieter month after the deadline. Her studio partner called every purchase wasteful and grew so parsimonious that he opposed replacing a worn tool needed for accurate work.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license