not having enough money to pay for necessities
Used in a Sentence
penurious
How to use penurious in a sentence. Example sentences and definitions for penurious.
Editorial note
Most drugs are very cheap, and the penurious get "BPL cards".
Examples4
Definitions2
Parts of speech1
Quick take
not having enough money to pay for necessities
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of penurious gathered in one view.
excessively unwilling to spend; "parsimonious thrift relieved by few generous impulses"; "lived in a most penurious manner--denying himself every indulgence"
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for penurious.
adjective
not having enough money to pay for necessities
See also: impecunious, penniless, pinched
adjective
excessively unwilling to spend; "parsimonious thrift relieved by few generous impulses"; "lived in a most penurious manner--denying himself every indulgence"
See also: parsimonious
Example sentences
Most drugs are very cheap, and the penurious get "BPL cards".
He commissioned a clever but penurious student named John Smith to see if he could crack the code and transcribe the diaries.
Moreover, none of these services would exist if it weren't for the artists and labels capitulating and licensing their products for penurious rates.
I read "mean" in the older sense of "low, sordid, base, penurious" rather than the modern sense of "not nice" - because I agree that when you use the modern sense of the word it comes across as schoolyard whining.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use penurious in a sentence?
Most drugs are very cheap, and the penurious get "BPL cards".
What does penurious mean?
not having enough money to pay for necessities
What part of speech is penurious?
penurious is commonly used as adjective.