What does "niggard" mean?
A miser or stingy person; a skinflint.
Niggard
/[ˈnɪɡɚd]/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A miser or stingy person; a skinflint.
- Grammar: niggard is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: skinflint, amass, cheapskate, cheeseparing.
- Useful contrasts: generous person, spender, spendthrift.
- Usage evidence: Many people considered him a niggard.
How to use "niggard"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "niggard" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "niggard" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "niggard" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "niggard" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "niggard" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "skinflint" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "niggard", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A miser or stingy person; a skinflint.
"Then beautious nigard why dooſt thou abuſe / The bountious largeſſe giuen thee to giue?"
- 2 a selfish person who is unwilling to give or spend wordnet
- 3 A false bottom in a grate, used for saving fuel.
"1833, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Godolphin It was evening: he ordered a fire and lights; and, leaning his face on his hand as he contemplated the fitful and dusky upbreakings of the flame through the bars of the niggard and contracted grate […]"
Verb
- 1 To hoard; to act stingily. intransitive
"Within thine owne bud burieſt thy content, / And tender chorle makſt waſt in niggarding: […]"
Adjective
- 1 Sparing; stinting; parsimonious.
- 2 Miserly or stingy.
"It was, however, the pleasure of his niggard and unhappy fortune, that in seeking a place proper for his accommodation, he and Dapple tumbled into a deep and very dark pit, among a number of old buildings."
Antonyms
Example
"Many people considered him a niggard."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "niggard"?
Common synonyms include: skinflint, amass, cheapskate, cheeseparing, churl, churl.
How do you use "niggard" in a sentence?
Many people considered him a niggard.
How do you pronounce "niggard"?
Pronounced /[ˈnɪɡɚd]/.
Etymology
From Middle English nigard, nygard (“miser”), from nig (“niggardly person”), possibly of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Icelandic hnøggr (“miserly, stingy”), Old Norse *hniggw, with descendants Swedish njugg (“stingy”), dialectal Swedish niggla (“be stingy”), dialectal Norwegian nigla. Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *hnauwjaz, source of Old English hneaw (“stingy”), replaced by Middle English nig. Possibly cognate to niggle (“miser”). Compare German Knicker (“niggard”), knickerig (“niggardly”). Unrelated to the word nigger, but see the usage notes.