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Penurious vs Eleemosynary - What's the difference?

penurious | eleemosynary |

As adjectives the difference between penurious and eleemosynary

is that penurious is miserly; excessively cheap while eleemosynary is relating to charity, alms, or almsgiving.

As a noun eleemosynary is

a beggar.

penurious

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Miserly; excessively cheap.
  • The old man died a penurious wretch; eighty-thousand dollars in the mattress and as many holes in the roof.
  • Not bountiful; thin; scant.
  • The penurious stew would have been more accurately labelled broth.
  • Impoverished; wanting for money.
  • The poor penurious horde, naught in the cooking pot and naught in the belly.

    Synonyms

    * See also * See also

    Antonyms

    * See also

    eleemosynary

    Alternative forms

    *

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Relating to charity, alms, or almsgiving.
  • * 1918 , , "Owd Bob" in Mince Pie :
  • He did some work for the New York Public Library . . . and also dabbled in eleemosynary science for the Russell Sage Foundation.
  • Given in charity or alms; having the nature of alms; as, eleemosynary assistance.
  • * 1749 , , Book I ch i:
  • An author ought to consider himself, not as a gentleman who gives a private or eleemosynary treat, but rather as one who keeps a public ordinary, at which all persons are welcome for their money.
  • * 1855 , (Walt Whitman), "To the Pending Year" in Leaves of Grass :
  • Crouch low thy neck to eleemosynary gifts.
  • Supported by charity; as, eleemosynary poor.
  • *
  • * 1991 , Washington Post , October 27:
  • Amidst all this, the legal business, the acquiring of land, the construction of the Montgomery Block, Billings had generosity and time to support the founding of the University of California and a half dozen churches, schools, orphan asylums and other eleemosynary institutions.

    Usage notes

    A formal, literary word; in everyday use charitable is used instead.

    Synonyms

    * charitable

    Noun

    (eleemosynaries)
  • (obsolete) A beggar