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ungenerous
/ʌnˈdʒɛnərəs/
not generous; petty or stingy
His ungenerous review of the book overlooked all its positive qualities.
His overly harsh and unfair evaluation failed to mention the book's good points.
formal
Not willing to give or share money, time, or resources; stingy.
The company made an ungenerous pay offer that workers immediately rejected.
Often describes offers, salaries, tips, or portions.
formal
Lacking kindness, fairness, or open-mindedness in judging others; petty or uncharitable.
It would be ungenerous to blame her for a mistake caused by poor instructions.
Frequently used to describe comments, interpretations, attitudes, or judgments.
Collocations
ungenerous offera small or inadequate offerungenerous remarkan unkind or critical commentungenerous interpretationan unfair or harsh way of understanding somethingungenerous spirita mean or petty personality
Pro Tip
Use for attitudes, not just money
Remember that 'ungenerous' often describes thoughts and judgments. Calling an opinion 'ungenerous' means it lacks empathy or fairness.
Gold Rule
Pair with abstract nouns for subtle criticism
Combine 'ungenerous' with abstract nouns like 'assessment', 'comment', or 'spirit' to express polite disapproval of someone's harsh behavior.
Word Origin
Formed in English by combining the prefix un- ('not') with generous (from Latin generosus, meaning 'of noble birth' or 'magnanimous').
Usage Notes
While 'stingy' focuses primarily on money or material things, 'ungenerous' is often used in formal English to describe an unkind mental attitude, unfair criticism, or lack of sympathy.
Word Breakdown
un-
not; opposite of
prefixgenerous
willing to give; noble in spirit
rootEnglish Dictionary