Standard Lemma guide

niggardly

adj · adv · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈnɪɡədli/
  • US: /ˈnɪɡɚdli/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: N IH1 G ER0 D L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Withholding for the sake of meanness; stingy, miserly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: miserly, stingy, as tight as Dick's hatband, cheap, cheeseparing, chintzy, close, close as wax, close-fisted, illiberal, mean, miserable, narrow-fisted, niggardly, nipcheese, parsimonious, peddling, penny-wise, penny-pinching, penurious, scrooge-like, scrubby, shabby, still got one's communion money, swear, tight, tight-fisted, tight as a tick, tighter than Dick's hatband, ungenerous, ungiving

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Conceding few runs (of a bowler).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: ball-games, cricket, games, hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adv

Meaning 3

In a parsimonious way; sparingly, stingily.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

petty or reluctant in giving or spending

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a niggardly tip

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: grudging, scrimy

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English niggard Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-West Germanic *-līk Old English -līċ Middle English -ly English -ly English niggardly From niggard + -ly (adjectival suffix).

Etymology tree English niggard Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English niggardly From niggard + -ly (adverbial suffix).

Across languages

Translations

35 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: بَخِيل (baḵīl) — withholding
  • Bulgarian: стиснат (stisnat) — withholding
  • Bulgarian: свидлив (svidliv) — withholding
  • Chinese Mandarin: 吝嗇 /吝啬 (lìnsè) — withholding
  • Chinese Mandarin: 小氣 /小气 (xiǎoqì) — withholding
  • Chinese Mandarin: 摳門 /抠门 (kōumén) — withholding
  • Chinese Mandarin: 摳 /抠 (kōu) — withholding
  • Czech: lakotný — withholding
  • Czech: skoupý — withholding
  • Dutch: krenterig — withholding
  • Dutch: gierig — withholding
  • Finnish: pihi — withholding
  • Finnish: nuuka — withholding
  • Finnish: saita — withholding
  • Finnish: itara — withholding
  • French: avare — withholding
  • French: pingre — withholding
  • French: mesquin — withholding
  • German: geizig — withholding
  • Indonesian: kikir — withholding
  • Ingrian: kuiva — withholding
  • Irish: ceachartha — withholding
  • Irish: sprionlaithe — withholding
  • Māori: matewhēngoi — withholding
  • Māori: matatoua — withholding
  • Old English: hnēaw — withholding
  • Polish: skąpy — withholding
  • Russian: жадный (žadnyj) — withholding
  • Russian: скаредный (skarednyj) — withholding
  • Russian: скупой (skupoj) — withholding
  • Spanish: (rehuso) malicioso — withholding
  • Swedish: knusslig — withholding
  • Swedish: snål — withholding
  • Swedish: njugg — withholding
  • Swedish: gnidig — withholding