niggard
1 of 2noun
nig·gard ˈni-gərd 
plural niggards
see usage paragraph below
: a meanly covetous and stingy person : miser
niggard adjective
niggard
2 of 2verb
niggarded; niggarding; niggards
intransitive verb
obsolete : to act niggardly
transitive verb
obsolete : to treat in a niggardly manner
Synonyms
Noun
- cheapskate
- churl
- hunks
- miser
- penny-pincher
- piker
- scrooge
- skinflint
- tightwad
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun such a niggard that he refused to hand out candy at Halloween, saying it would cost too much money
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse hnøggr niggardly; akin to Old English hnēaw niggardly
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Verb
1596, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
niggard 1 of 2
adjective
as in niggardly
giving or sharing as little as possible in Shakespeare's sonnet, the narrator begs his love to give him more praise "than niggard truth would willingly impart" Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- niggardly
- miserly
- careful
- selfish
- parsimonious
- stinting
- greedy
- tightfisted
- penurious
- stingy
- ungenerous
- mingy
- pinching
- desirous
- mean
- cheap
- uncharitable
- tight
- close
- chintzy
- sparing
- economizing
- conserving
- spare
- pinchpenny
- economical
- closefisted
- penny-pinching
- thrifty
- avaricious
- frugal
- saving
- chary
- small
- covetous
- mercenary
- hoggish
- skimping
- scrimping
- coveting
- acquisitive
- sordid
- envious
- rapacious
- grasping
- shabby
- grudging
- begrudging
- avid
- resentful
- itchy
- inhospitable
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- munificent
- generous
- bounteous
- liberal
- bountiful
- charitable
- unsparing
- openhanded
- unstinting
- unselfish
- lavish
- extravagant
- altruistic
- free
- selfless
- handsome
- profuse
- benevolent
- beneficent
- overgenerous
- philanthropic
- hospitable
- humanitarian
- freehanded
- philanthropical
- magnanimous
- kindly
- unthrifty
- profligate
- compassionate
- prodigal
- spendthrift
- wasteful
- thriftless
- openhearted
- wasting
- greathearted
- squandering
- good-hearted
- dissipating
- frittering
- splurging
niggard
2 of 2noun
as in miser
a mean grasping person who is usually stingy with money such a niggard that he refused to hand out candy at Halloween, saying it would cost too much money Synonyms & Similar Words
- miser
- hunks
- skinflint
- scrooge
- tightwad
- cheapskate
- piker
- churl
- penny-pincher
- saver
- pack rat
- hoarder
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- spendthrift
- prodigal
- wastrel
- waster
- profligate
- spender
- squanderer