How do you use "Penny Pinching" in a sentence?

Stop being so penny-pinching! Their penny-pinching ways paid off. He's a real penny pincher. We had to be penny-pinching to afford it.

Penny Pinching

Q: What does "Penny Pinching" mean?

Extremely frugal, stingy with money Being very careful with money to the point of stinginess. Suggests obsessive saving even of small amounts. Can be negative (mean) or neutral (thrifty).

Slang Term AmericanBritishAustralian ★★★★☆ Common Casual

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Meaning: Extremely frugal, stingy with money

非常节俭、吝啬

Extremadamente frugal, tacaño con el dinero

けち、お金にうるさい

극도로 알뜰한, 인색한

Being very careful with money to the point of stinginess. Suggests obsessive saving even of small amounts. Can be negative (mean) or neutral (thrifty).

对钱非常小心到吝啬的程度。暗示即使是小额也要强迫性地节省。可以是负面（小气）或中性（节俭）的。

Ser muy cuidadoso con el dinero hasta el punto de la tacañería. Sugiere ahorro obsesivo incluso de pequeñas cantidades. Puede ser negativo (mezquino) o neutro (ahorrativo).

けちなほどお金に注意深いこと。少額でも執拗に節約することを示唆。否定的（ケチ）または中立的（倹約家）にもなりうる。

인색할 정도로 돈을 아끼는 것. 소액까지 집착적으로 절약하는 것을 의미한다. 부정적(인색한) 또는 중립적(검소한) 뉘앙스 모두 가능하다.

Literal meaning: Pinching/holding onto every penny.

Examples

Stop being so penny-pinching!
别那么抠门！
¡Deja de ser tan tacaño!
そんなにケチケチしないで！
그렇게 쩨쩨하게 굴지 마!
Their penny-pinching ways paid off.
他们的节俭习惯得到了回报。
Sus costumbres ahorradoras dieron frutos.
彼らの節約癖が報われた。
그들의 알뜰한 습관이 결실을 맺었어.
He's a real penny pincher.
他真是个守财奴。
Es un verdadero tacaño.
彼は本当のケチだ。
그는 진짜 구두쇠야.
We had to be penny-pinching to afford it.
我们必须省吃俭用才买得起。
Tuvimos que ser muy tacaños para pagarlo.
それを買うためにケチケチしなければならなかった。
그걸 사려면 아껴 쓸 수밖에 없었어.

Pronunciation

/ˈpeni ˈpɪntʃɪŋ/

Usage Guide

Context: criticism, description, saving

Tone: critical or admiring depending on context

✓ Do Say

Penny-pinching.
抠门
Tacaño
ケチ
쩨쩨하게 굴다.
A penny pincher.
守财奴
Un tacaño
ケチな人
구두쇠.
Stop penny-pinching.
别抠门
Deja de ser tacaño
ケチケチしないで
쩨쩨하게 굴지 마.

✗ Don't Say

Can be insulting
可能是侮辱性的
Puede ser insultante
侮辱的になりうる
모욕적일 수 있음
Context determines tone
语境决定语气
El contexto determina el tono
文脈によって意味が変わる
문맥에 따라 어감이 달라짐

Common Mistakes

Can be negative (mean) or positive (thrifty)
Tone and context matter

Origin & History

From the image of pinching (holding tightly) every penny. Suggests extreme frugality. Used since the 19th century.

Etymology: From pinching (gripping tightly) pennies

First recorded: English usage from 19th century

Cultural Context

Era: 19th century onwards

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Scrooge archetype; Frugality discussions

Regional notes: Universal across English-speaking countries.

Variations

Penny-pinchingPenny pincherPinch pennies