stringy

IPA/ˈstrɪŋi/
KK[strˈɪŋi]IPA/ˈstrɪŋi/

stringy — adjective

  • stringypositive
  • stringiercomparative
  • stringiestsuperlative

1. having a fibrous texture that makes food feel tough and difficult to bite throug

1.形容詞B2
釋義

having a fibrous texture that makes food feel tough and difficult to bite through or cut with a knife, like strands of string inside the food

例句

The old celery was so stringy that Emre could barely chew through the stalks.

collocation: stringy + old vegetables / meat

Diya pulled a stringy piece of gristle from her steak and set it aside.

同義詞
  • fibrous

    more neutral, less negative; describes any food with noticeable fibres

  • tough

    broader; can refer to any food that is hard to chew, not specifically because of fibres

反義詞
  • tender

    soft and easy to cut or chew, the opposite of stringy meat

用法筆記

Most often applied to meat that has been cooked too long or to vegetables that have grown past their tender stage. Not used for crunchy or crispy textures.

常見錯誤

❌This apple is stringy.
✅This apple is mealy.
💡'stringy' describes long fibres (meat, beans, celery), not the soft grainy texture of an overripe apple.

2. describing a person with a thin body that shows clear muscles or tendons under t

2.形容詞B2
釋義

describing a person with a thin body that shows clear muscles or tendons under the skin, usually because of physical work or exercise

例句

Sora's stringy frame disguised how much weight he could lift on the construction site.

subject: stringy + frame / build / arms

The long-distance runner had a stringy build with tight muscles running down her calves.

同義詞
  • wiry

    very close in meaning; also suggests thin and strong but with a slight sense of agility or nervous energy

  • lean

    more neutral, less vivid; simply means not fat, without the visible muscle suggestion

  • sinewy

    slightly more formal; emphasises visible tendons or rope-like muscles

反義詞
  • stocky

    short and heavily built, the opposite body type

  • plump

    rounded and soft, without visible muscle definition

用法筆記

Applied to people, not animals. Has a mildly positive or neutral connotation — it suggests functional strength and leanness, not weakness. Compare with 'scrawny' (negative, suggests undernourishment).

常見錯誤

❌She is stringy because she does not eat enough.
✅She is stringy from years of manual labour.
💡'stringy' implies muscular leanness through activity, not thinness from lack of food.

3. describing a thick liquid or melted substance that stretches into long thin stra

3.形容詞C1
釋義

describing a thick liquid or melted substance that stretches into long thin strands when it is pulled apart, drips, or is poured

例句

Lakan scraped the hot stringy glue off his fingers with a wet cloth.

The syrup became stringy after Diego boiled it on the stove for too long.

result after heating: becomes stringy

同義詞
  • ropy

    less common; describes liquids that are thick and form sticky strings

  • glutinous

    more formal; describes a sticky, glue-like consistency without implying thread-forming property

反義詞
  • runny

    thin and watery, opposite of thick and thread-forming

用法筆記

Less common than senses 1 and 2. Found mainly in cooking instructions, craft instructions (glue), or descriptions of industrial materials. Can also describe mucus or saliva in medical contexts.