as in parsimonious
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Recent Examples of penny-wise
Cheap graphics cards are penny-wise but dollar-foolish for gaming PCs.
—
Brad Bourque, Wired News, 9 Aug. 2024
But even if successful, such an effort would likely be penny-wise and pound-foolish, leading U.S. allies to turn away from Washington in the long term.
—Stephen G. Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2025
Having these tenants lose their apartments and become homeless is penny-wise and pound-foolish.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 20 Feb. 2024
Ironically, its source is here on Earth: Congress, which has the penny-wise but pound-foolish policy of releasing just a trickle of funding to the space agency every year, hobbles many of NASA's mission goals that require thinking past a two-year House or six-year Senate term.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2023
On the other hand, avoid being penny-wise, pound-foolish.
—Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Jan. 2024
Ironically, its source is here on Earth: Congress, which has the penny-wise but pound-foolish policy of releasing just a trickle of funding to the space agency every year, hobbles many of nasa's mission goals that require thinking past a two-year House or six-year Senate term.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2023
Delaying investments in sustainable energy and climate adaptation (such as coastal retreat in response to sea-level rise) is penny-wise but immensely pound-foolish.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2023
Brad Bourque, Wired News, 9 Aug. 2024
But even if successful, such an effort would likely be penny-wise and pound-foolish, leading U.S. allies to turn away from Washington in the long term.
—Stephen G. Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2025
Having these tenants lose their apartments and become homeless is penny-wise and pound-foolish.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 20 Feb. 2024
Ironically, its source is here on Earth: Congress, which has the penny-wise but pound-foolish policy of releasing just a trickle of funding to the space agency every year, hobbles many of NASA's mission goals that require thinking past a two-year House or six-year Senate term.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2023
On the other hand, avoid being penny-wise, pound-foolish.
—Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Jan. 2024
Ironically, its source is here on Earth: Congress, which has the penny-wise but pound-foolish policy of releasing just a trickle of funding to the space agency every year, hobbles many of nasa's mission goals that require thinking past a two-year House or six-year Senate term.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2023
Delaying investments in sustainable energy and climate adaptation (such as coastal retreat in response to sea-level rise) is penny-wise but immensely pound-foolish.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penny-wise
Adjective
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Driving the reluctant interviewee to the Manchester airport for the flight to Washington, Rudman discovered that his famously parsimonious friend had only $3 in his wallet.—
Barbara A. Perry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 May 2025
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But the iPhone 17 Air’s parsimonious speaker holes might suggest a phone with less capable audio.—
David Phelan,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But the approval process has been slow, the discounts vary from carrier to carrier, the requirements coming from insurers don’t always match the state’s own standards and the savings on offer are, according to some, miserly.—
CalMatters,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2025
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Newcastle's player sale profits were miserly for years until June 2024 Profit on player sales from 2014 to 2024 (£millions) Column chart of Newcastle United profit on player sales, where club record £69.8m in 2023-24 far outweigh what came before.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Every year, a complacent, tightfisted city council turned down the recommendations.—
Margaret Talbot,
The New Yorker,
2 Oct. 2023
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Kotick played the tightfisted owner of the Oakland A’s.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
31 May 2023
Adjective
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Those who are approved must cope with notoriously unreliable in-home nursing, a byproduct of the state’s penurious reimbursement rates.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
17 Jan. 2025
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Those who are approved must cope with notoriously unreliable in-home nursing, a byproduct of the state’s penurious reimbursement rates.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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First-generation wealth builders tend to be more frugal, focusing on saving and spending less.—
Monish Verma,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
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When early May came and went, frugal concert fans noticed something amiss.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
20 May 2025
Adjective
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The Dell Inspiron 15 and the Asus Vivobook Go 15 are two other thrifty AMD laptops.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
10 Apr. 2025
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But fresh, homemade pasta dishes can be just as thrifty and pack even more flavor at dinnertime.—
Gretchen McKay,
Boston Herald,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Their penalty kill is stingy in their own zone and disruptive enough to generate some chances.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
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Safe to say that synergy has come to flourish between Veach and Spagnuolo, whose defenses have significantly outperformed the Chiefs’ vaunted offense the last two seasons and have been among the NFL’s 10 stingiest units in five of Spagnuolo’s six seasons.—
Vahe Gregorian,
Kansas City Star,
21 May 2025
Adjective
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Many Chileans are angry about the country’s unequal distribution of wealth and power, about niggardly pensions (for which people are supposed to save themselves) and about long waiting times for doctors’ visits and poor schools.—
The Economist,
The Economist,
25 Dec. 2019
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To tap one of the country’s two largest and most niggardly mines is hard enough.—
The Economist,
The Economist,
3 Feb. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Penny-wise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penny-wise. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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