Miser
/ˈmaɪ.zər/noun
A person who hoards money and spends as little as possible.
Did you know?In Latin, miser could mean “wretched” or “unhappy,” so the word began as a state of suffering before it became a label for someone obsessed with keeping wealth.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mey-
“To change, exchange, or trade”
Latin
Latin
miser
“Wretched, unfortunate, pitiable”
Late Latin
Latin
miser
“Wretched person; miserable one”
Old French
Old French
miser
“A miserly person”
Middle English
English
miser
“A person who hoards wealth and spends grudgingly”
Modern English
English
miser
“A person who is very unwilling to spend money”
Explore more surprising origins