Parsimonious
hardNegative tonepar-sih-MOH-nee-us
adjective
Definition
Unwilling to spend money or use resources; stingy
Memory hook
PARSI-MONEY-OUS: So tight with MONEY, they PARSE every penny. Stingy!
Word roots
Learning roots unlocks whole word families. Study common GRE root words.
Examples
“The parsimonious businessman refused to invest in necessary upgrades.”
“Her parsimonious approach to entertaining disappointed guests.”
Test yourself
Fill in the blank with the right word:
“The ______ businessman refused to invest in necessary upgrades.”
Show answer
parsimonious
Synonyms
Antonyms
Categories
GRE Tip
Parsimonious is a hard-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "frugal" or "miserly" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "generous".
Related GRE Words
niggardly
Not generous; stingy (note: no racial connection despite sound)
closefisted
Unwilling to spend money; miserly
stinting
Restrictive or ungenerous in giving or spending
tightfisted
Not willing to spend or give much money; stingy
abstemious
Moderate in eating and drinking; self-restrained
artless
free of guile or pretense; naturally simple and sincere
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