Miser

A detail from L'Avaro, a print by Antonio Piccinni (1878)

A miser /ˈmzər/ is a person who is reluctant to spend money, sometimes to the point of forgoing even basic comforts and some necessities, in order to hoard money or other possessions.[1] Although the word is sometimes used loosely to characterise anyone who is mean with their money, if such behaviour is not accompanied by taking delight in what is saved, it is not properly miserly.

Misers as a type have been a perennial object of popular fascination and a fruitful source for writers and artists in many cultures.

  1. ^ "miser - definition of miser in English from the Oxford dictionary". oxforddictionaries.com. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012.