sty

noun

ˈstī How to pronounce sty (audio)
Definition of stynext
as in dump
a dirty or messy place "That house is such a sty that I'm never setting foot in there again," she said with a shudder

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sty The result leaves nearly every performer fumbling for traction in Serkis and Stoller’s muddy-yet-gutless cinematic sty. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 30 Apr. 2026 In 1981, he was elected mayor, if not quite the Zohran Mamdani of the Reagan revolution (Mamdani won by two hundred thousand votes, not ten), then at least a sty in the Gipper’s eye. — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026 In eye care, HOCl is used to help with dry eyes, sties, and conditions like blepharitis and meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). — Boutayna Chokrane, Wired News, 10 Sep. 2025 For patients with eyelid infections, this buildup is a common cause of dryness, itchiness, eyelash loss and even recurrent sties. — Kameryn Griesser, CNN Money, 30 May 2025 The designation will bring international recognition to the sties, which aren’t well known even to many Ohioans. — Susan Glaser, cleveland, 19 Sep. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sty
  1. dump
  2. mess
  3. pigsty
  4. hole
  5. pigpen
  6. hellhole
Noun
  • The data dump comes after the Conference Board reported yesterday that its Consumer Confidence Index this month slid to its lowest level since 2014.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Jump to recipe Dessert doesn’t get much easier than a dump cake!
    — Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of dump
Noun
  • This is just another mess for the WNBA, a terrible look for A'ja Wilson, and wildly unprofessional from Amazon Prime Video.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Rather than simply detecting physical obstacles, the system distinguishes between different types of messes and household objects to optimize cleaning strategies.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of mess
Noun
  • De Wet claims Olivier then ordered him to dispose of their bodies in a pigsty — an act prosecutors believe was meant to destroy evidence.
    — Christina Coulter, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Regard your property as an investment in a pigsty, and visitors will treat it thus.
    — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025
Definition of pigsty
Noun
  • The average user on both a sportsbook and prediction market loses money, and trying to claw back losses puts users in even deeper financial holes, experts warn.
    — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Walker split a hole created by Trey Smith and Jaylon Moore on the right side of the line, never broke stride and sprinted 76 yards down the right side to set up the Chiefs’ go-ahead touchdown pass to Thornton in the fourth quarter.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of hole
Noun
  • Rainn Wilson, the actor who portrayed him, has a pigpen.
    — Rachel Davies, Architectural Digest, 3 Mar. 2026
  • Police came back the next day and found the boy's remains in the family's pigpen.
    — Christine Pelisek, Peoplemag, 12 Aug. 2022
Definition of pigpen
Noun
  • The communists want to turn America into a Third World country, into a hellhole of crime and filth.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Newsom defended California against Republican attacks — and common mindsets throughout much of America — that the Golden State is a socialist hellhole of high taxes, unaffordable living and rampant crime.
    — George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Definition of hellhole

Browse Nearby Words

stutter-steps
sty
stygian
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sty. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on sty

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sty

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of discreet

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All