penny wise and pound foolish

Adjective

Meaning

penny wise and pound foolish (not generally comparable, comparative more penny wise and pound foolish, superlative most penny wise and pound foolish)

(idiomatic) Prudent and thrifty with small amounts of money, but wasteful with large amounts.

penny-wise and pound-foolish

Alternative form of penny wise and pound foolish

Alternative names

penny-wise and pound-foolish

Close letter words and terms