tightwad n : a miserly person [syn: cheapskate]

English

Etymology

From tight + wad

Noun

tightwad

1. one who is stingy or overly cautious or defensive with money (usually mildly derisive)

   That tightwad would walk ten miles to save a few cents on gas.

Synonyms

• frugal
• miser
• skinflint

Antonyms

• spendthrift

A skinflint is a person considered so miserly that he would even "skin a flint" to save something of it. A flint is a small piece of flintstone used to strike a spark in the tinderbox. The flints in modern day lighters aren't made of flintstone, but rather of Ferrocerium. A 'skinflint' dislikes spending money and is also sometimes referred to as a 'tightwad', a 'miser', a 'niggard', a 'piker', and a 'penny pincher'.