Dictionary
Find
in
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Translations

Click to move up the list of words
nifty
Nig.
nigella
Niger
Niger-Congo
Nigeria
Nigerian English
niggard
niggardly
nigger
niggle
niggling
nigh
night
night adder
night blindness
night-blooming cereus
Click to move down the list of words
Print Preview
See pronunciation key
Search for "niggardly" in all of MSN Encarta
E-mail this entry
Blog about this entry on MSN Spaces
Download the MSN Encarta Right-Click Dictionary

niggardly

nig·gard·ly [ níggərdlee ]


adjective  (comparative nig·gard·li·er, superlative nig·gard·li·est)
Definition:
 
1. not generous: very reluctant to give or spend anything

2. small or inadequate: very small or inadequate in quantity



adverb 
Definition:
 
in stingy way: in a miserly or stingy way


nig·gard·li·ness noun

Word Usage

Though the etymology of niggardly and niggard remains subject to debate, these words probably have a Scandinavian origin not associated historically with the origin of the offensive word Negro and its related offensive racist slurs, which are derived ultimately from Latin. Niggardly, then, is in no way a racial slur. However, the fact that the word sounds as if it might be one is reason to consider context very carefully before using it.

Advertisement

Also on Encarta
Englishtown: Learn English online
Our Partners
Also on MSN
Encarta Message Boards (© Rubberball/Jupiterimages)
MSN Shopping
Upgrade your Encarta experience
Encarta RSS Feeds
© 2008 Microsoft