节俭是一种美德，但是非常富有却过度节俭则显得有点吝啬。
以下这段话是摘自美国肯尼迪总统夫人的传记"A Woman Named Jackie":
"For all their wealth and recklessness, the Kennedys are notoriously parsimonious. Judge James Knott, former director of the Palm Beach Historical Society, considered them "incredibly frugal. I don't mean frugal in a strict financial sense, I mean they were ungiving - they never entered wholeheartedly into the social life of Palm Beach. They never entertained..."
parsimonious - 吝啬的（属于GRE收录词汇）
"Rose Kennedy was an even greater penny-pincher. Here was a woman who attended Mass every day of the week and never put more than a single dollar bill into the collection plate."
"Every penny Joe Kennedy earned went to the family, or into their sturdy political campaigns. Since they never entertained (在家招待客人）they didn't care what their homes look like. They were in dire need of repair. Joe would paint the front of the house but not the back or sides, because people saw only the front..."
刷墙只刷正面，背面和侧面别人看不到就不刷了。这家人真实吝啬到家了！
penny-pincher - 连一便士都紧握不放的人当然是吝啬的人了。
不吝啬怎么能存钱呢。A penny saved is a penny earned.
"吝啬鬼"在英文中还有其他说法：cheapskate/miser/skinflint/scrooge
stingy:(adj)吝啬的
tightfisted:(adj.)吝啬的
calculating(adj.)斤斤计较的
另外，"cheap"和"mean"都可以表示“吝啬”的意思。
moneygrabbing (adj.)不择手段获得财富的 moneygrabbing businessmen