meaning - How can I explain the difference between "thrifty" and "stingy"?


Both the words "thrifty" and "stingy" have obviously different meanings - for example, the fictional character Scrooge is stingy, while someone following a budget is thrifty.


Both imply saving money; how could I explain to someone what the difference is between these words, say, in a single sentence?



Answer



It is not exactly the case that they both imply saving money. Thrifty does imply that one tends to save money, by means of careful attention to judiciousness in one's expenditures, particularly by always trying to buy things at the lowest possible cost, but also by keeping an eye on getting the highest possible quality for the given cost. Stingy, on the other hand, means miserly, not generous, tending to hoard one's money, and tending to avoid spending one's money at all, not merely injudiciously. So stingy isn't really saving money in the sense of not spending more than one should, but rather keeping money by just hanging onto it at all costs.


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