Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of frugal

20 similar words · 5 opposite words

Another word for frugal is economic. Other synonyms of frugal are economical, sparing, thrifty, prudent and parsimonious. The opposite of frugal is prodigal.

Synonyms and similar words for frugal

adjectiveMore synonyms

  • cheapStingy; mean; excessively frugal.
  • economicalCareful with money so as not to spend too much; prudent; thrifty.
  • thriftyShowing thrift; economical; frugal.
  • abstemiousSparingly used; used with temperance or moderation.
  • cannyFrugal, thrifty.
  • charyNot disposed to give freely; not lavish; frugal, sparing.
  • moderate
  • close with a buckPrudent in the expenditure of money; frugal; parsimonious.
  • economicFrugal; cheap (in the sense of representing good value); economical.
  • provident formalShowing care in the use of something (especially money or provisions), so as to avoid wasting it.
  • huswifelyHousewifely, i.e. capable, economical, prudent.
  • parsimoniousExhibiting parsimony; sparing in the expenditure of money; frugal, possibly to excess.
  • penny-pinchingReluctant to spend money; close-fisted.
  • prudentFrugal; economical; not extravagant.
  • sparingPrudent and restrained in the use of resources; careful, economical or frugal.
  • tightMiserly or frugal.
  • tightwadOne who is stingy; someone overly cautious or defensive with money.
  • husbandly obsoleteFrugal; economical.
  • spareful obsoleteSparing; chary.
  • spary obsoleteSparing; frugal; parsimonious.

Opposite of frugal

adjectiveMore antonyms

Meaning of frugal

  1. adjective Careful or wise in expenditure; avoiding waste.
  2. adjective Obtained by or characterized by frugality.

Full definition of frugal

frugal in other languages

Questions about synonyms of frugal

What is another word for frugal?
Frugal has 20 synonyms on Word.ws, such as economic, economical, sparing, thrifty, prudent, parsimonious, canny and abstemious.
What is the opposite of frugal?
The opposite of frugal is prodigal. Other antonyms of frugal are simple.
What does frugal mean?
Frugal means careful or wise in expenditure; avoiding waste.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: frugal (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “Synonyms of frugal.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/frugal. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.