What does stringy mean?
Stringy means long, thin, and suggestive of a string. It is especially useful for describing straight or limp hair, coarse fibers, and meat that remains tough and fibrous. In these contexts, it emphasizes visible strands or an elongated, slightly untidy texture. The word can also be used informally for a person’s nervous or tense demeanor, as in “He became stringy before the performance,” though this sense is less formal and less common. In everyday use, stringy is often mildly descriptive rather than strongly evaluative: it may simply characterize the appearance or texture of something. Together with related words such as string and stringy-haired, it belongs to the vocabulary of describing strands, fibers, and elongated forms.
Resembling or consisting of strings; long, thin, and often limp or dangling.
"Her stringy hair hung around her face."
Common in descriptions of hair, fibers, and the texture of food.
Informally, nervous or tense.
"The child felt stringy before going on stage."
This is an informal and less frequent sense.
From stringy hair to stringy meat, this one word captures anything made conspicuous by long, thin strands.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does stringy come from?
Stringy was formed in the 19th century from string and the suffix -y, meaning “characterized by” or “resembling.” String itself comes through Middle English from Old English streng, related to Latin stringere, “to draw tight” or “bind.” The same Latin root also gives words such as stringent and stringency, and ultimately connects with strict through the idea of drawing or binding firmly.
How stringy is actually used
The adjective is common in neutral descriptions of hair, fibers, and meat. The sense meaning nervous or tense is informal and less frequent.
Easily confused with stringy
Stringy describes something that resembles long, thin strings, while stingy describes someone who is unwilling to spend money or share resources.