niggardly
pronunciation
How to pronounce niggardly in British English:
UK [ˈnɪgədli]
How to pronounce niggardly in American English:
US [ˈnɪgərdli]
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- Adjective:
- petty in giving or spending
Word Origin
- niggardly (adj.)
- 1560s, from niggard + -ly (1). It was while giving a speech in Washington, to a very international audience, about the British theft of the Elgin marbles from the Parthenon. I described the attitude of the current British authorities as "niggardly." Nobody said anything, but I privately resolved -- having felt the word hanging in the air a bit -- to say "parsimonious" from then on. [Christopher Hitchens, "The Pernicious Effects of Banning Words," Slate.com, Dec. 4, 2006] As an adverb from 1520s. Related: Niggardliness.
Example
- 1. Niggardly implies a tendency to be grudging and petty .
- 2. Forced by hunger he worked for the most niggardly pay .
- 3. The niggardly husband never gave her enough moneyforfood .
- 4. He is niggardly with his money .
- 5. The truth is , that nature , seldom profuse , and seldom niggardly , has distributed her gifts more equally than she is generally supposed to have done .