Miserly vs. Niggardly

Like a miser; very covetous; cautious with money

Like a miser; very covetous; avaricious; stingy; sordid; niggardly.

used of persons or behavior; characterized by or indicative of lack of generosity;

Example: ‘a mean person’; ‘he left a miserly tip’;

Withholding for the sake of meanness; stingy, miserly.

In a parsimonious way; sparingly, stingily.

Meanly covetous or avaricious in dealing with others; stingy; niggard.

Example: ‘Where the owner of the house will be bountiful, it is not for the steward to be niggardly.’;

In a niggard manner.

petty in giving or spending;

Example: ‘a niggardly tip’;

ungenerous with money, time, etc.; mean

Example: ‘he accused the Government of being unbelievably niggardly’;

meagre and given grudgingly

Example: ‘niggardly allowances from the Treasury’; ‘a niggardly shoestring budget’;

in a mean or meagre manner.