Standard Lemma guide

skinflint

noun · 2 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.

  • /ˈskɪnflɪnt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪnt
  • CMU ARPABET: S K IH1 N F L IH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

One who is excessively stingy or cautious with money; a tightwad; a miser.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a selfish person who is unwilling to give or spend

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: niggard, scrooge, churl

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: hoarder

Narrower terms: pinchgut

History

Etymology

From the phrase skin a flint (“go to extreme lengths for the sake of gain or economy”), from the brittleness and hardness of flint which makes it almost impossible to remove just its skin without shattering it.