stint

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈstint 

1

a

: a period of time spent at a particular activity

served a brief stint as a waiter

b

: a definite quantity of work assigned

2

: restraint, limitation

stint

2 of 3

verb

stinted; stinting; stints

intransitive verb

1

: to be sparing or frugal

not stinting with their praise

2

archaic : stop, desist

transitive verb

1

a

: to restrict with respect to a share or allowance

stinted herself of luxuries

b

archaic : to limit within certain boundaries

2

archaic : to put an end to : stop

stinter noun

stint

3 of 3

noun (2)

plural stints also stint

: any of several small sandpipers (genus Calidris)

Synonyms of stint

Noun (1)

• tenure
• term
• tour

Verb

• skimp (on)
• scant
• spare
• portion (out)
• conserve

Choose the Right Synonym for stint

task, duty, job, chore, stint, assignment mean a piece of work to be done.

task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance.

charged with a variety of tasks

duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance.

the duties of a lifeguard

job applies to a piece of work voluntarily performed; it may sometimes suggest difficulty or importance.

the job of turning the company around

chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm.

every child was assigned chores

stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service.

a 2-month stint as a reporter

assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority.

a reporter's assignment

Examples of stint in a Sentence

Noun (1)

signed up for a three-year stint in the army

his parents have always supported him without stint, no matter what interests he has chosen to pursue

Verb

the entrées would be worth these prices if the restaurant didn't stint on the side dishes so much

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

One option considered was the former Burnley and Everton manager Sean Dyche, whose brief stint at Nottingham Forest already felt doomed. —Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 28 May 2026

Warren Fairley — who took over for a short stint as Boilermakers president in 2023 after Jones was removed — and Jones’ son, Cullen Jones, pleaded guilty in March to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of embezzlement from a labor organization. —Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2026

Verb

Romano’s sturdy book may not stint on examples of Mary’s bad behavior—including a ferociously jealous verbal assault, near the end of the war, on the wife of a prominent Union general—but the biographer keeps tilting against those who slighted Mary in even the most superficial ways. —Thomas Mallon, New Yorker, 18 May 2026

His first book was an honest-to-God bestseller, and the Murdoch family, which owns HarperCollins, isn’t known for stinting on its payments to political allies. —Ben Smith, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English styntan to blunt, dull; akin to Old Norse stuttr scant

Noun (2)

Middle English stynte

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for stint

• clint
• dint
• glint
• hint
• lint
• mint
• print
• quint
• quinte
• splint
• sprint
• squint

Kids Definition

stint

1 of 2 verb

ˈstint 

1

: to be sparing or stingy

not stinting with their praise

2

: to limit in share or portion : cut short in amount

stint the children's allowance

stinter noun

stint

2 of 2 noun

1

: restriction sense 1, limitation

gave without stint

2

a

: a quantity of work assigned

b

: a period of time spent at a particular activity

served a brief stint as a waiter

Medical Definition

stint

variant of stent