Niggardizing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Being stingy or miserly in giving or spending money
2. Exhibiting a reluctance to part with resources or generosity
3. Displaying a tendency to be excessively frugal or tight-fisted in financial matters

Etymology: "Niggardize" is a rare verb built from "niggard," a Middle English word for a miser, with the common suffix "-ize" added to mean "to act in a niggardly way." The origin of "niggard" itself is uncertain. Some etymologists have suggested a link to Scandinavian dialect words for stinginess, but no firm source has been established. The family became newsworthy when an official in Washington, D.C., used the adjective "niggardly" in a budget discussion. Critics objected that it sounded like a racial slur, and the official apologized and resigned, sparking wide debate about the word. The resemblance to the slur is coincidental. "Niggard" and the slur have separate histories, and etymologists do not connect them.

Synonyms: stingy, miserly, parsimonious, tightfisted, frugal

Antonyms: generous, lavish, openhanded, munificent, bountiful