stint
1 Americanverb (used without object)
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to be frugal; get along on a scanty allowance.
Don't stint on the food.
They stinted for years in order to save money.
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Archaic. to cease action; desist.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a period of time spent doing something.
a two-year stint in the army.
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an allotted amount or piece of work.
to do one's daily stint.
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limitation or restriction, especially as to amount.
to give without stint.
- Synonyms:
- tour of duty, tour, term, shift
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a limited, prescribed, or expected quantity, share, rate, etc..
to exceed one's stint.
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Obsolete. a pause; halt.
noun
verb
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to be frugal or miserly towards (someone) with (something)
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archaic to stop or check (something)
noun
-
an allotted or fixed amount of work
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a limitation or check
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obsolete a pause or stoppage
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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unstintingadjective
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stintlessadjective
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stintednessnoun
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stinternoun
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stintedlyadverb
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unstintedadjective
-
unstintinglyadverb
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stintinglyadverb
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has stintedperfect 3rd person singular
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have stintedperfect
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am stintingprogressive 1st person singular
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are stintingprogressive
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has been stintingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been stintingperfect progressive
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is stintingprogressive 3rd person singular
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stintingparticiple
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stintssingular 3rd person
Past
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had stintedperfect
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were stintingprogressive plural
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had been stintingperfect progressive
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stintedparticiple
-
was stintingprogressive singular
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stintedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of stint1
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English verb stinten, stenten “to cease,” Old English styntan “to make blunt, dull”; cognate with Old Norse stytta “to shorten” ( cf. stunt 1); noun derivative of the verb
Origin of stint2
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English; stynte, stint; further origin unknown
Explanation
The noun stint means a set amount of time in which you do something — often work of some sort. "She served a stint in the army, followed by a stint in an office setting, before settling on a career as a lounge singer." Unlike a project or vocation, a stint can refer to the stretch of time spent doing a particular job. You apply for a job, but you refer to your past stint in the Peace Corps. As a verb, stint means to be sparing or frugal, or restrict in a stingy manner ("to skimp"). "The school board chose to make cuts at the administrative level, rather than stint on the children's education."
Vocabulary lists containing stint
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ng spent more than 30 years in the MLB, including a decade-long stint with the Dodgers.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
After a coaching stint in the minors, he received his NHL break in 2000 when the New York Rangers fired their coach with four games left in the season.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
Fast bowler Jofra Archer is missing the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's following his IPL stint and may not be ready to play in the second.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
Bass, an ex-US congresswoman and Democratic Party stalwart, had an unremarkable start to her stint at the helm of America's second biggest city, and seemed headed for a quasi-automatic re-election in the liberal city.
From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026
“Okay, ladies and gentlemen,” chirped the TV meteorologist, Max Myer, who was really enjoying his stint as a game show host.
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
