stinginess
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stinginess
Excessive frugality and a strong reluctance to spend money or share possessions. Stinginess is often seen as a negative character trait.
Sein Geiz war so groß, dass er sogar im Winter die Heizung ausließ.
His stinginess was so extreme that he even left the heating off in winter.
'Der Geiz' (stinginess) belongs to a word family with the adjective 'geizig' (stingy; a stingy person) and the verb 'geizen mit' (to be sparing with something). They all describe the same negative quality.
Er ist so geizig, dass er nie Trinkgeld gibt.
He is so stingy that he never leaves a tip.
To name the reason for an action, 'Geiz' (stinginess) is often used with the preposition 'aus' (out of). The construction is: 'etwas aus Geiz tun/nicht tun' (to do/not do something out of stinginess).
Aus reinem Geiz hat er die kaputte Waschmaschine nicht reparieren lassen.
Out of pure stinginess, he didn't have the broken washing machine repaired.
'Geiz' (stinginess) is always meant negatively. It does not describe mere frugality, but an excessive and antisocial refusal to spend money or share.
Ihr Geiz führte dazu, dass sie am Ende keine Freunde mehr hatte.
Her stinginess led to her having no friends left in the end.
greed
'die Gier' (greed) and 'der Geiz' (stinginess) are both negative traits and often have to do with money or possessions. 'Gier' means that someone always wants to have more. 'Geiz' means that someone does not want to spend or share anything, even when it would actually be appropriate. They can be confused because both can seem selfish. The difference is simple: Gier wants to get more; Geiz does not want to give anything away.
Wegen seines Geizes bringt Paul nie etwas zur gemeinsamen Feier mit.
Because of his stinginess, Paul never brings anything to the shared celebration.
Aus Gier kaufte der Händler alle Tickets und verkaufte sie später teurer.
Out of greed, the dealer bought all the tickets and later sold them at a higher price.