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Webster 1913 Edition


Penurious

Pe-nu′ri-ous

,
Adj.
[From
Penury
.]
1.
Excessively sparing in the use of money; sordid; stingy; miserly.
“A penurious niggard of his wealth.”
Milton.
2.
Not bountiful or liberal; scanty.
Here creeps along a poor,
penurious
stream.
C. Pitt.
3.
Destitute of money; suffering extreme want.
[Obs.]
“My penurious band.”
Shak.
Syn. – Avaricious; covetous; parsimonious; miserly; niggardly; stingy. See
Avaricious
.
Pe-nu′ri-ous-ly
,
adv.
Pe-nu′ri-ous-ness
,
Noun.

Webster 1828 Edition


Penurious

PENU'RIOUS

,
Adj.
[L.penuria, scarcity, want; Gr. poor; rare.]
1.
Excessively saving or sparing in the use of money; parsimonious to a fault; sordid; as a penurious man. It expresses somewhat less than niggardly.
2.
Scanty; affording little; as a penurious spring.

Definition 2024


penurious

penurious

English

Adjective

penurious (comparative more penurious, superlative most penurious)

  1. Miserly; excessively cheap.
    The old man died a penurious wretch; eighty-thousand dollars in the mattress and as many holes in the roof.
  2. Not bountiful; thin; scant.
    The penurious stew would have been more accurately labelled broth.
  3. Impoverished; wanting for money.
    The poor penurious horde, naught in the cooking pot and naught in the belly.

Translations

Synonyms

  • See also Wikisaurus:stingy
  • See also Wikisaurus:impoverished

Antonyms

  • See also Wikisaurus:spendthrift

Related terms