not given or giving willingly; not generous, especially with money 小气的；吝啬的 You're stingy! (= not willing to spend money) 你真小气！ 🔊🔊 Don't be so stingy with the cream! 别那么舍不得放奶油！ 🔊🔊 It was a stingy offer and he turned it down. 报价很小气，他回绝了。
Word Originmid 17th cent.: perhaps a dialect variant of the noun sting + -y.