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thriftily
/ˈθrɪftɪli/
in a frugal way
She managed to decorate her apartment thriftily by buying second-hand furniture and repurposing old items.
She decorated her apartment in a frugal way by using second-hand furniture and reusing old items.
formal
in a way that shows careful use of money or resources
He lives thriftily, avoiding unnecessary expenses and saving most of his income.
He lives in a frugal manner, avoiding unnecessary spending and saving most of his earnings.
Often used to describe habits or lifestyles focused on saving money or resources.
Collocations
live thriftilyto live in a frugal mannerspend thriftilyto spend money carefully
Pro Tip
Avoid confusion with 'thrifty'
'Thriftily' is the adverb form of 'thrifty,' meaning 'in a frugal way.' Do not confuse it with 'thrifty,' which is an adjective (e.g., 'She is a thrifty shopper').
Gold Rule
Use 'thriftily' for actions, not people
Use 'thriftily' to describe how actions are performed (e.g., 'She spends thriftily'), not to describe people directly (use 'thrifty' instead, e.g., 'She is thrifty').
Word Origin
Derived from the adjective 'thrifty' (Old Norse 'þrift' meaning prosperity or gain) + suffix '-ly' (denoting manner). First recorded use in English in the mid-16th century.
Usage Notes
Commonly used in formal or neutral contexts to describe prudent financial behavior. Less common in casual speech compared to 'frugally.'
Word Breakdown
thrift
careful use of money or resources
root-ily
suffix forming adverbs of manner
suffixEnglish Dictionary