STING Definition & Meaning

View synonyms for

sting

[ sting ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb (used with object)

stung or (Obsolete) stang stung; stinging.

to prick or wound with a sharp-pointed, often venom-bearing organ.
to affect painfully or irritatingly as a result of contact, as certain plants do:
to be stung by nettles.
to cause to smart or to cause a sharp pain:
The blowing sand stung his eyes.
to cause mental or moral anguish:
to be stung with remorse.
to goad or drive, as by sharp irritation.
Slang. to cheat or take advantage of, especially to overcharge; soak.

verb (used without object)

stung or (Obsolete) stang stung; stinging.

to use, have, or wound with a sting, as bees.
to cause a sharp, smarting pain, as some plants, an acrid liquid or gas, or a slap or hit.
to cause acute mental pain or irritation, as annoying thoughts or one's conscience:
The memory of that insult still stings.
to feel acute mental pain or irritation:
He was stinging from the blow to his pride.
to feel a smarting pain, as from a blow or the sting of an insect:
His cheeks stung from the hail.

noun

an act or instance of stinging:
The allergic reaction to a sting may be delayed for several hours.
a wound, pain, or smart caused by stinging:
After an hour or so, the throbbing of the wasp sting subsided to a dull ache.
any sharp physical or mental wound, hurt, or pain:
Laser treatment for wrinkles sounds like magic, but some people can’t tolerate the accompanying sting and burn.
anything or an element in anything that wounds, pains, or irritates:
to feel the sting of defeat;
Death, where is thy sting?
capacity to wound or pain:
Satire has a sting.
a sharp stimulus or incitement:
driven by the sting of jealousy;
the sting of ambition.
Botany. a glandular hair on certain plants, as nettles, that emits an irritating fluid.
Zoology. any of various sharp-pointed, often venom-bearing organs of insects and other animals capable of inflicting painful or dangerous wounds.
Slang.
1. confidence game ( def ).
2. an ostensibly illegal operation, as the buying of stolen goods or the bribing of public officials, used by undercover investigators to collect evidence of wrongdoing.
Television. Sometimes . a brief burst of music or a sound effect used to emphasize a moment of humor, drama, or fright in a show, or to punctuate a transition or another part of a show’s structure.

sting

/ ��ɪŋ /

verb

(of certain animals and plants) to inflict a wound on (an organism) by the injection of poison
to feel or cause to feel a sharp mental or physical pain
tr to goad or incite (esp in the phrase sting into action )
informal.
tr to cheat, esp by overcharging

noun

a skin wound caused by the poison injected by certain insects or plants
pain caused by or as if by the sting of a plant or animal
a mental pain or pang
a sting of conscience
a sharp pointed organ, such as the ovipositor of a wasp, by which poison can be injected into the prey
the ability to sting
a sharp sting in his criticism
something as painful or swift of action as a sting
the sting of death
a sharp stimulus or incitement
botany another name for stinging hair
slang.
a swindle or fraud
slang.
a trap set up by the police to entice a person to commit a crime and thereby produce evidence
sting in the tail
an unexpected and unpleasant ending

Discover More

Derived Forms

ˈ��پ��Բ��Բ��, adverb
ˈ��پ��Բ��Բ��Ա��, noun
ˈ��پ��Բ��Բ�, adjective

Discover More

Other 51�Թ� Forms

��پ��Բ�·��Բ�·�� adverb
��پ��Բ�·�� adjective
�ǳܳ�·��پ��Բ� verb (used with object) outstung outstinging
��·��پ��Բ� verb restung restinging
�ܲ�·��پ��Բ�·��Բ� adjective
�ܲ�·��پ��Բ�i�Բ�·�� adverb

Discover More

51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of sting¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English verb stingen, Old English stingan “to pierce”; cognate with Old Norse stinga “to pierce,” Gothic -stangan (in usstangan “to pull out”); the noun is derivative of the verb

Discover More

51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of sting¹

Old English stingan; related to Old Norse stinga to pierce, Gothic usstangan to pluck out, Greek stakhus ear of corn

Discover More

Idioms and Phrases

see take the sting out of .

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Trump Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick insisted that the charges will pay dividends in the long run, as foreign companies — stung by the tariffs — decide to move their factories to the U.S.

From

Retreating to the nature he grew up in and unburdened by the press and the stinging lights of Hollywood, Kilmer created works that were entirely from his perspective.

From

They also voiced frustration over a pair of stinging audits that sharply criticized LAHSA’s oversight, or lack of it, over its contracts and programs.

From

But the powerful Los Angeles Police Protective League frequently targeted Rhodes with stinging criticism in its monthly magazine, including over a policy that limited “pretextual stops” of motorists and pedestrians.

From

It is the “on that side” part that stings.

From

Related 51�Թ�s

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Browse