sty

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A small enclosed place on a farm where pigs are kept.

   Grammar: Plural is sties.

   Patterns

   • in the sty

   The pigs rolled in the mud of their sty.

   The farmer cleaned the sty every morning.

   A muddy sty stood at the back of the barn.

2. 2nouncountableinformalfigurative

   A very dirty or untidy place.

   Grammar: Informal, figurative: his room is a sty.

   Patterns

   • live in a sty

   His bedroom was an absolute sty.

   The students left the kitchen a sty.

   I can't work in this sty.

3. 3nouncountablemedical

   A painful red lump on the edge of the eyelid, caused by infection; also spelled stye.

   Grammar: Often spelled stye.

   Patterns

   • a sty on the eyelid

   She had a sty on her eyelid and needed a warm compress.

   A sty usually heals within a week.

   He rubbed his eye and developed a sty.

Word forms

Common combinations

pig sty

The pig sty smelled terrible.

a sty in the eye

A sty in the eye can be painful.

clean out the sty

They had to clean out the sty.

warm compress for a sty

A warm compress for a sty helps drainage.

live in a sty

You live in a sty!

Synonyms and how they differ

pigpen

Pigpen is the American word and sty is the more traditional British term.

stye

Stye is the usual spelling for the eyelid condition.

hovel

Hovel is a poor, dirty home, whereas sty is specifically for pigs or a very messy place.

dump

Dump is an informal word for an untidy or shabby place.

Word family

sties noun

plural of sty

stye noun

eyelid variant spelling

pigsty noun

one-word form of pig sty

Commonly confused: sty or sky? sty or stay?

Practice

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