frugal
FROO-gul
/ˈfruːɡəl/
Sparing or economical with regard to money or food.
Implies carefulness and a reluctance to spend unnecessarily, often out of a desire to save or avoid waste. It's generally a positive trait, suggesting good financial sense.
The story behind the word. The word 'frugal' comes from the Latin 'frugalis,' which meant 'economical' or 'useful.' This itself is derived from 'frugi,' meaning 'economical, useful, or proper,' and ultimately from 'frux, frugis,' meaning 'fruit' or 'profit.' The idea is that being 'frugal' leads to 'fruit' or 'profit' because you are managing your resources wisely, ensuring a good harvest for the future.
Word relationships
- thrifty: Using money and other resources carefully and not wastefully.
- economical: Careful in the use of money, resources, or time.
- sparing: Exercising restraint in the use of resources.
- extravagant: Lacking restraint in spending money or using resources; costing too much.
- wasteful: Using or expending something carelessly, extravagantly, or to no purpose.
- prodigal: Spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant.
Commonly confused with
- cheap: 'Frugal' describes a person's habit of saving money; 'cheap' can refer to low quality or a person's unwillingness to spend even when appropriate (stingy).
Word family
- frugality (noun): The quality of being economical with money or food; thriftiness.
- frugally (adverb): In a frugal manner.
Collocations
- frugal lifestyle
- frugal meal
- frugal spending
- frugal habits
Example sentences
- "Despite his wealth, the millionaire lived a surprisingly frugal lifestyle, preferring simple meals and modest clothes." Describing a person's spending habits.
- "They learned to be frugal with their resources during the lean years, making every penny count." Describing a practical approach.
Memory hook
A 'FRUGAL' person is 'FRUITFUL' with their money, making it grow. Fruitful with money
When not to use
Do not use 'frugal' to describe someone who is stingy or miserly; it implies sensible economy, not extreme meanness.
Fun facts
- The Latin root 'frux' also gives us words like 'fruit' and 'fructify' (to bear fruit or produce results).
Related words
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