Nearby Words

niggardly

[nig-erd-lee] Origin

nig·gard·ly

[nig-erd-lee]
adjective
1.
reluctant to give or spend; stingy; miserly.
2.
meanly or ungenerously small or scanty: a niggardly tip to a waiter.
adverb
3.
in the manner of a niggard.

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Niggardly is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.

Origin:
1520–30; niggard + -ly

nig·gard·li·ness, noun


1. penurious, miserly, mean, tight, avaricious, mercenary, illiberal, close. 2. poor.


1. generous.

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
niggardly (ˈnɪɡədlɪ)
 
adj
1.  stingy or ungenerous
2.  meagre: a niggardly salary
 
adv
3.  stingily; grudgingly
 
'niggardliness
 
n

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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

niggardly
1560s, from niggard.
EXPAND
"It was while giving a speech in Washington, to a very international audience, about the British theft of the Elgin marbles from the Parthenon. I described the attitude of the current British authorities as 'niggardly.' Nobody said anything, but I privately resolvedhaving felt the word hanging in the air a bitto say 'parsimonious' from then on." [Christopher Hitchens, "The Pernicious Effects of Banning Words," Slate.com, Dec. 4, 2006]
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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