steady, generous, broke, affluent, stingy: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Business set 6. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. steady · adj/ˈstɛdi/

   constant development, unlikely to change

   For the past 5 years, the company has been making a steady progress in producing new tools.

   Synonyms: constant, ceaseless, regular

   Origin: Middle English (in the sense ‘unwavering, without deviation’): from stead + -y. The verb dates from the mid 16th century

2. generous · adj/ˈdʒɛn(ə)rəs/

   willing to give and share

   We would like to thank this very generous family that has donated considerable amounts of money to our charity over the last several years.

   Synonyms: giving

   Origin: late 16th century: via Old French from Latin generosus ‘noble, magnanimous’, from genus, gener- ‘stock, race’. The original sense was ‘of noble birth’, hence ‘characteristic of noble birth, courageous, magnanimous, not mean’

3. broke · adj/breɪk/

   when you do not have any money

   He asked for some money from his neighbours as he was completely broke.

   Synonyms: penniless, bankrupt, destitute

   Origin: Old English brecan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch breken and German brechen, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin frangere ‘to break’

4. affluent · adj/ˈæˌfluənt/

   having a lot of money and valuable possessions

   Children from affluent families feel more pressured to be always successful and be good role models from their parents, which cause them to feel anxious and depressed.

   Synonyms: wealthy, rich, well-off, prosperous

   Origin: late Middle English (in affluent): via Old French from Latin affluent- ‘flowing towards, flowing freely’, from the verb affluere, from ad- ‘to’ + fluere ‘to flow’

5. stingy · adj/ˈstɪndʒi/

   not be willing to spend money on something

   Scrooge McDuck, cartoon character Donald Duck’s uncle, was known for his exquisite wealth but also his being rather stingy as he did not like to share his money but save it to himself.

   Synonyms: mean, ungenerous, penny-pinching

   Origin: mid 17th century: perhaps a dialect variant of the noun sting + -y