Choose the word with a pejorative/critical connotation meaning stingy and excessively reluctant to spend necessary resources:
The department chair was criticized as ________ for refusing to replace hazardous, decades-old laboratory centrifuges.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. parsimonious
Answer: parsimonious. Why not the others: 'frugal', 'thrifty', and 'prudent' have positive connotations praising wise, economical, and careful management of resources.
- Step 1: Examine the context: the chair is criticized for failing to spend money on essential safety equipment (hazardous equipment), indicating harmful stinginess.
- Step 2: 'Parsimonious' has a strongly negative connotation meaning stingy, miserly, and unwilling to spend even when necessary.
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