penurious
Group 32Difficulty 2/3
Definition
- (adjective)
- Extremely poor; parsimonious GRE
Example in Context
The penurious funding of public libraries left these vital community institutions unable to maintain their collections or extend operating hours.
Synonyms
dirt-poorstingymiserly
Etymology
Originating from Latin for poverty, PENURIOUS describes someone who is destitute or stingy.
- penu- (Latin) — poverty
Memory Aid
💰Sounds like “penny rich”
A person counting their last PENNIES, saying, 'I’m PENURIOUS but RICH in SPIRIT!'
Visual Association
😢A person sitting on the street with a cup, looking longingly at a gold coin rolling by.
Semantic Clusters
Synonym Groups
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “penurious” mean on the GRE?
penurious (adjective) means “Extremely poor; parsimonious”. The penurious funding of public libraries left these vital community institutions unable to maintain their collections or extend operating hours.
How to remember “penurious” for the GRE?
Mnemonic: “penurious” sounds like “penny rich”. A person counting their last PENNIES, saying, 'I’m PENURIOUS but RICH in SPIRIT!'
What are synonyms for “penurious”?
Common synonyms: dirt-poor, stingy, miserly.