ケチくさい

け

ち

く

さ

い

Meanings

1

i-adjective

stingy; cheap; tight-fisted

usually written using kana alone

Describes a person who is unwilling to spend money or share resources, often with a negative connotation.

そんなケチくさいこと言いわないで、少すこしは出だしてよ。

Don't be so cheap—chip in a little.

2

i-adjective

usually written using kana alone

Refers to a small-minded, ungenerous attitude, not just about money but about behavior or thinking.

3

i-adjective

shabby; poor-looking; cheap-looking

usually written using kana alone

Describes the appearance of something that looks cheap, shabby, or of poor quality.

ケチくさい
kana-only spelling
Most common spelling; the word is usually written in kana.
ケチ臭くさい
Kanji spelling with 臭い; rarely used.
けち臭くさい
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; rarely used.
吝嗇臭けちくさい
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; 吝嗇 is an uncommon kanji for 'stingy'.

けち
けち is a noun/adjectival noun meaning 'stingy' or 'miser', while ケチくさい is an adjective that adds a nuance of 'smelling of stinginess' or 'seeming stingy', often more colloquial and negative.
みみっちい
みみっちい also means 'stingy' or 'shabby', but is slightly more old-fashioned and less common than ケチくさい.

Derived from けち (stingy) + くさい (smelling of, seeming like). The くさい suffix adds a derogatory nuance, implying something reeks of stinginess.