stinkbug

noun

"stinkbug" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“stinkbug” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any of several insects, usually shield-shaped, possessing a gland that produces a foul-smelling liquid, usually containing aldehydes, which they use to discourage predators.

Corpus desk

Index EN-stinkbug · stinkbug · English

stinkbug · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "S" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for stinkbug
PropertyValue
Headwordstinkbug
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “stinkbug” in English

stinkbugsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

stinkbug is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for stinkbug, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From stink + bug. The correct English form is stinkbug, spelled S-T-I-N-K-B-U-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of several insects, usually shield-shaped, possessing a gland that produces a foul-smelling liquid, usually containing aldehydes, which they use to discourage predators.
  2. 2
    Any of various insects of the order Hemiptera (the "true bugs"), in the suborder Heteroptera, principally in the superfamily Pentatomoidea or Coreoidea.
  3. 3
    A pinacate beetle or stink beetle (genus Eleodes) that releases a pungent odor when threatened.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how stinkbug appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Every few years when Udonga montana, a bamboo-feeding stink bug, erupts in massive swarms, the people of the Mizo community in northern India don’t reach for pesticides. Instead, they look for baskets.

Etymology

From stink + bug.

Synonyms

shield bugshieldbugchust bug

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "stinkbug"?
"stinkbug" is spelled S-T-I-N-K-B-U-G.
What does "stinkbug" mean?
As a noun, "stinkbug" means: Any of several insects, usually shield-shaped, possessing a gland that produces a foul-smelling liquid, usually containing aldehydes, which they use to discourage predators.
What is the origin of the word "stinkbug"?
From stink + bug. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list