Word
stint
US/ˈstɪnt/
UK/stˈɪnt/
Definitions
01a period of work
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a set period of time that you spend doing a particular job or activity.
n. a fixed or allotted period of work, service, or specific activity.
“After a two-year stint in the army, he returned home to start university.”
“She completed a brief stint as a junior researcher in London before being headhunted by a major firm in New York.”
Usage
Often used with the preposition 'in' or 'as'.
02to limit or restrict
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to limit the amount of something you give or use, often because you are being very careful or cheap.
v. to restrict someone to a small or meager allowance; to be frugal or sparing with resources.
“The hotel didn't stint on the breakfast, providing a huge variety of fresh food.”
“The organizers did not stint on the decorations, ensuring that every hall was draped in expensive silk and fresh flowers.”
Usage
Commonly used in the negative ('did not stint on') to emphasize generosity.
03a type of bird
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Science Technical
n. a very small bird that lives near water and has long legs for wading.
n. any of several small wading birds in the genus Calidris, similar to a sandpiper.
“We saw a little stint feeding in the mud at the edge of the lake.”
“The estuary is a vital stopover for migratory shorebirds, including the red-necked stint and other small waders.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“It followed a promising if inconsistent year at Watford in the Championship, after brief stints in Germany and Switzerland.” “Despite that, he forged an impressive academic career, mostly focusing on race and education, with stints at Roehampton, Glasgow and Durham universities.” Etymology
From Middle English stinten, from Old English styntan (“to make blunt”) and stintan (attested in āstintan (“to make dull, stint, assuage”)), from Proto-West Germanic stuntijan, from Proto-Germanic stuntijaną and Proto-Germanic stintaną (“to make short”), probably influenced in some senses by cognate Old Norse *stynta, stytta (“to make short, shorten”).
Origin unknown.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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