adj · 5 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.
thrĭft'ē
/ˈθɹɪfti/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɪfti
CMU ARPABET:TH R IH1 F T IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Showing thrift; economical; frugal.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: abstemious, canny, chary, moderate, cheap, close with a buck, economic, economical, frugal, husbandly, huswifely, parsimonious, penny-pinching, prudent, spareful, sparing, spary, thrifty, tight, tightwad
Antonyms: spendthrift
2
adj
Meaning 2
Thriving, prosperous, successful; (of an animal or plant) growing rapidly or vigorously.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Preserved by thrift; carefully managed.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective
Meaning 4
careful and diligent in the use of resources
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: wasteful
5
adjective satellite
Meaning 5
mindful of the future in spending money
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
careful with money
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: careful
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English thrifty, threfty, thryfty, þrifti, equivalent to thrift + -y.
Across languages
Translations
60 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Azerbaijani:
qənaətcil
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Azerbaijani:
yığımcıl
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Azerbaijani:
təsərrüfatcıl
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Belarusian:
беражлі́вы
(bjeražlívy)
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Belarusian:
ашча́дны
(aščádny)
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Belarusian:
экано́мны
(ekanómny)
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Bulgarian:
пестели́в
(pestelív)
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Bulgarian:
икономи́чен
(ikonomíčen)
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Catalan:
estalviador
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Chinese Mandarin:
節儉 /节俭
(jiéjiǎn)
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Chinese Mandarin:
節約 /节约
(jiéyuē)
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Czech:
šetrný
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Czech:
spořivý
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Danish:
sparsommelig
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Finnish:
säästäväinen
— given to, or evincing, thrift
French:
économe
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Galician:
aplicado
— given to, or evincing, thrift
German:
sparsam
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Greek:
φειδωλός
(feidolós)
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Greek:
οικονόμος
(oikonómos)
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Ancient Greek:
φειδωλός
(pheidōlós)
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Hungarian:
takarékos
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Irish:
tábhachtach
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Italian:
parsimonioso
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Japanese:
倹しい
(tsumashii)
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Latin:
parcus
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Latin:
frūgālis
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Macedonian:
штедлив
(štedliv)
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Māori:
whakamoamoa
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Norwegian Bokmål:
sparsommelig
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Norwegian Bokmål:
nøysom
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Polish:
oszczędny
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Portuguese:
económico
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Portuguese:
econômico
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Portuguese:
parcimonioso
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Romanian:
econom
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Russian:
эконо́мный
(ekonómnyj)
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Russian:
бережли́вый
(berežlívyj)
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Russian:
хозя́йственный
(xozjájstvennyj)
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Scottish Gaelic:
cùramach
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Scottish Gaelic:
dèanadach
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Serbo-Croatian:
štedljiv
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Slovak:
šetrný
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Slovak:
sporivý
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Slovene:
varčen
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Spanish:
ahorrador
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Spanish:
ahorrativo
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Swedish:
sparsam
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Ukrainian:
бережли́вий
(berežlývyj)
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Ukrainian:
оща́дливий
(oščádlyvyj)
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Ukrainian:
заоща́дливий
(zaoščádlyvyj)
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Ukrainian:
еконо́мний
(ekonómnyj)
— given to, or evincing, thrift
Bulgarian:
процъфтяващ
(procǎftjavašt)
— thriving by industry and frugality
Finnish:
vaurastuva
— thriving by industry and frugality
Russian:
процвета́ющий
(procvetájuščij)
— thriving by industry and frugality
Bulgarian:
буйно растящ
(bujno rastjašt)
— growing rapidly or vigorously
Finnish:
nopeakasvuinen
— growing rapidly or vigorously
Finnish:
hyvin hoidettu
— secured by thrift; well husbanded
Finnish:
vauras
— secured by thrift; well husbanded
