scrimp
verb · noun · adjective
Simple meaning
To be frugal, whether to a reasonable and wise extent or to a miserly and unwise extent.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
skrimpIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈskɹɪmp
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
intransitive
To be frugal, whether to a reasonable and wise extent or to a miserly and unwise extent.
transitivesometimes with on
To make too small or short; to shortchange.
transitive
To limit or straiten; to put on short allowance.
noun
A pinching miser; a niggard.
adjective
Short; scanty; curtailed.
Word at a Glance
- Typical Use
- Rare
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: To be frugal, whether to a reasonable and wise extent or to a miserly and unwise extent.
Used this way, scrimp is a reasonably familiar word with a clearly warm, approving pull. It stays understated rather than dramatic. It quietly approves while staying precise.
- Emotional tone
- Positive
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Mild
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Economical and restrained
- Usage feel
- Precise and approving
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
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Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.