skinflint

noun

skin·​flint ˈskin-ˌflint How to pronounce skinflint (audio)
Synonyms of skinflintnext
: a person who would save, gain, or extort money by any means : miser

Synonyms of skinflint

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Examples of skinflint in a Sentence

She is a penny-pinching skinflint. the team's owner is a skinflint whose penny-pinching ways keep the team from acquiring any real talent
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Maybe that’s unfair, but Boston’s skinflint reputation has been well earned. — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 10 Jan. 2026 So is the criticism not about his being a skinflint, but something else annoying—a fussbudget, a gadfly? — A.e. Stallings, The New York Review of Books, 17 Aug. 2023 Swift also paid for the text to be published in London newspapers, so that Schomberg’s skinflint relatives would see it. — Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 2 May 2026 Gone are the days of some teams having nearly their entire 40-man roster in uniform and those with skinflint owners having only a few extras. — Peter Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, 31 Aug. 2022 See All Example Sentences for skinflint

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1699, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of skinflint was circa 1699

Browse Nearby Words

skin flick
skinflint
skin-food
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Cite this Entry

“Skinflint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skinflint. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

skinflint

noun
skin·​flint ˈskin-ˌflint How to pronounce skinflint (audio)
: a person who is very stingy in money matters : miser

More from Merriam-Webster on skinflint

Nglish: Translation of skinflint for Spanish Speakers

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