as in economical
careful in the management of money or resources
by being frugal, the family is able to stretch its monthly budget
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in economy
careful management of material resources
her lifelong frugality has enabled her to save enough money to go to college next year
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of frugal
Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2026
The entertainment-only plan is also a frugal subscriber’s dream, costing $28 less than YouTube TV’s main plan.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 9 Feb. 2026
IEEE Spectrum, 17 Dec. 2025
Baby boomers’ good timing America’s septuagenarians were raised by parents who came of age during the Great Depression and learned the hard way the lessons of frugality and the importance of saving money.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frugal
Adjective
Achane won’t be happy with the Dolphins taking this frugal approach, and might demand a trade.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2026
The entertainment-only plan is also a frugal subscriber’s dream, costing $28 less than YouTube TV’s main plan.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 9 Feb. 2026
Noun
Keeping things simple and comparatively cheap could improve Dectravalve’s chances of catching on with automakers and suppliers notorious for frugality.
—IEEE Spectrum, 17 Dec. 2025
Baby boomers’ good timing America’s septuagenarians were raised by parents who came of age during the Great Depression and learned the hard way the lessons of frugality and the importance of saving money.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frugal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frugal
Adjective
-
The Dolphins need edge rushers, and Sullivan found a couple of economical options in free agency in Josh Uche and David Ojabo.—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
-
As with the others, Bjorn and wife and creative director Julija’s thoughtful touches are everywhere, from the singular pieces of vintage decor that fill the rooms to the economical (and ecological) construction of the cabins.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Channel 24 answered a need identified by a city study on the local music economy back in 2023.—
Madisen Keavy,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The Colorado walkout followed the January closure of a meatpacking plant in Lexington, Nebraska, which was expected to ripple through the local economy and community.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But multimillionaire serial investor and entrepreneur Kevin O’Leary says saving is more important than ever before.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Books like ‘Project Hail Mary’ Earth-saving expeditions.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Those latter prices look downright thrifty in comparison.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
21 Mar. 2026
-
What started out as a thrifty practice has become an unofficial commandment of Southern kitchens—don't waste one drop of tasty bacon grease.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Nuccio took a roll of film into a meadow and placed two thrift store chairs across from each other.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Not every thrift store discovery ends up being a source of joy for the individual involved.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Two of them are falsifiability and parsimony.—
Calum Lister Matheson,
The Conversation,
14 Nov. 2025
-
No act of parsimony shrinks the size of government either.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frugal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frugal. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
