noun, na-adjective
stinginess; miserliness; parsimony
Describes a person or behavior that is extremely reluctant to spend money; often used as a noun or na-adjective. Compare with ケチ, which is more colloquial.
See also: ケチ
彼の吝嗇ぶりには呆れてしまう。
I'm amazed at his stinginess.
吝嗇な人からは一円も出てこない。
Not a single yen comes out of a miserly person.
More colloquial and commonly used in everyday speech; 吝嗇 is more formal and literary.
The kanji 吝 and 嗇 both carry meanings related to stinginess and miserliness. The exact historical derivation of the compound is uncertain, but it is conventionally associated with these meanings.