Definition of miserly

"Miserly" originates from the Old French word "miser," meaning "wretched" or "unfortunate." This, in turn, comes from the Latin "miser," which had the same meaning. Over time, the meaning shifted to describe someone who is excessively thrifty and stingy, likely due to the association of poverty with wretchedness. This shift in meaning is also reflected in the word "misery," which originally meant "wretchedness" but now implies suffering and unhappiness.