miserly
adverb C2
Plain meaning
unwilling to spend money; excessively mean with money
Exam-register meaning
In formal or high-level texts, it is used to describe unwilling to spend money; excessively mean with money, often with a precise or specialised tone.
In context
naturalThe system improved miserly after the update.
examResources must be allocated miserly if the programme is to remain sustainable.
Common collocations
act miserlychange miserlyperform miserly
Watch out
Do not place “miserly” randomly in the sentence; adverbs usually need a clear verb or whole-clause meaning.