ˌən-ˈjen-rəs
as in selfish
giving or sharing as little as possible
it is ungenerous for someone of his ample means not to provide more for the care of his aging parents
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 ungenerous
Unkindness and people being ungenerous.
—
Maria Bamford, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2025
At least with Derrick, the shallowness seems intentional, if ungenerous.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 13 June 2025
But, even though there was nothing the slightest bit ungracious or ungenerous about her performance, it was felt more like the audience being asked to come to her.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 26 Apr. 2025
Perhaps most perplexing about Smash, though, is its weirdly cynical, ungenerous take on the Bombshell herself.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ungenerous
Maria Bamford, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2025
At least with Derrick, the shallowness seems intentional, if ungenerous.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 13 June 2025
But, even though there was nothing the slightest bit ungracious or ungenerous about her performance, it was felt more like the audience being asked to come to her.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 26 Apr. 2025
Perhaps most perplexing about Smash, though, is its weirdly cynical, ungenerous take on the Bombshell herself.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ungenerous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ungenerous
Adjective
-
People forget that being an athlete is selfish.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
12 Feb. 2026
-
The first, the sewing machine, was created by a selfish and ambitious inventor who wanted all the credit and was willing to fight a war for it.—
Luis Gallo,
NPR,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
14 Feb. 2026
-
As with any sauce, be careful not to over-reduce.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The only way to get to that conclusion, however, is to make a lot of uncharitable assumptions about Kimmel’s thinking.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
18 Sep. 2025
-
That utilitarian descriptor may seem a bit uncharitable, but the fact is, the 2.0-liter, OHV inline-four is rugged, indefatigable and, making about 100 hp, sufficiently powerful to scoot the 2,100-pound roadster along at a nice pace.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
That requires that the drug companies be less greedy in squeezing the state’s Medicaid program.—
Livi Stanford,
Hartford Courant,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Unfortunately, buying a legitimate one to replace what’s been stolen can cost five, 10, or even 20 times that if your dealer’s service department is especially greedy, which is a big part of the problem here.—
Adam Ismail,
The Drive,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Como had been neck-and-neck with Roma’s miserly backline before shipping four at Inter last Saturday, a chastening defeat that ended an unbeaten run stretching back to the end of August.—
Jack Bantock,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2025
-
In this version, miserly Madame Eleanor is visited by the ghost former business partner Jacob Marley as well as a few other apparitions.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
26 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
But the parsimonious Lady Featherington (Polly Walker) gives Varly her old hideous yellow and green dresses instead of a raise (this is clearly the Regency-era equivalent of the office pizza party).—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The latter offers a more judicious form of clemency, but only on a parsimonious, individual basis.—
Bernadette Meyler,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
There’s a cast of wanderers, visionaries, and itinerants, the self-educated and self-published, a long lineage of cranks and outcasts, mostly penurious, always opinionated, stretching away into the mists of pseudohistory.—
Hari Kunzru,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Then the usually penurious Indians suddenly splurged.—
Chuck Murr,
Forbes.com,
19 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
O’Leary’s task is to make a stingy defense for the past two seasons even stingier.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Darnold has All-Pro wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and running back Kenneth Walker, and the Seahawks defense is the stingiest in the league.—
Rob Maaddi,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ungenerous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ungenerous. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
