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V2 Vocabulary Building Dictionary


miser

noun

Definition: 1. someone who saves and holds onto money excessively, living frugally despite having great wealth; 2. someone greedy and selfish

Synonyms: penny-pincher, scrooge, money-grubber, cheapskate

Antonyms: spendthrift, waster

Tips: Miser comes from the Latin for "unfortunate." The idea is: if you're a miser, you're living an unfortunate life, one where you do not spend much money. It is unfortunate that misers live like "unfortunates" for the sake of gaining money they won't spend. If someone is described as miserly, he or she lives or acts like a miser. Being a miser and never spending your money on the people you love would be a miserable life. Ebenezer Scrooge, from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, is probably one of the most famous misers in English literature.

Usage Examples:

The two older aristocrats were often accused of being miserly rather than generous. (money-grubbing) adjective

Sometimes our boss acts like a miser, refusing to grant raises or offer bonuses. (penny-pincher)

She lived like a miser, always scrimping and saving even though she had plenty of money tucked away already. (penny-pincher)

The old miser refused to spend money on anything that wasn't absolutely necessary. (cheapskate)


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