sting

1 of 2

verb

stung ˈstəŋ How to pronounce sting (audio) ; stinging ˈstiŋ-iŋ How to pronounce sting (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to prick painfully: such as
a
: to pierce or wound with a poisonous or irritating process
b
: to affect with sharp quick pain or smart
hail stung their faces
2
: to cause to suffer acutely
stung with remorse
3

intransitive verb

1
: to wound one with or as if with a sting
2
: to feel a keen burning pain or smart
also : to cause such pain
stingingly adverb

sting

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: the act of stinging
specifically : the thrust of a stinger into the flesh
b
: a wound or pain caused by or as if by stinging
2
3
: a sharp or stinging element, force, or quality
4
: an elaborate confidence game
specifically : such a game worked by undercover police in order to trap criminals

Examples of sting in a Sentence

Verb I got stung by a bee. The jellyfish stung the swimmer. The bees will sting if you bother them. The iodine will sting for a few minutes. The cold rain stung my eyes. The smoke made our eyes sting. She was stung by their harsh criticism. Noun When you get the shot, you'll feel a little sting. His arm was covered with bee stings. They were caught in a drug sting. a sting operation by police
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
He’s had some brutal encounters, however, like when he was stung about 600 times by an African honeybee swarm in the 1990s. Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024 Unlike honeybees, each wasp can sting multiple times. Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 Still, the loss of Hertl, a leader from both a production and emotional standpoint, probably stings the Sharks the most. Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 New photos show largest anaconda ever recorded What happens if you get stung by a blue dragon? Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024 My skin was so hot that the normally stinging 40-degree November air felt like a balm. Valeriya Safronova, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2024 The talk stung Weber, a Christian who prided himself on treating everyone equally. Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2024 That's the thing that really stung the most about it. Nbc Universal, NBC News, 11 Feb. 2024 Republicans quickly seized on that stinging characterization to attack the Democratic incumbent as unfit for office. Devlin Barrett, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2024
Noun
Related video How McDonald’s is trying to attract a younger crowd Inflation’s sting has pushed Americans to cut back on small luxuries. Ramishah Maruf, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 Dozens of people were arrested in recent weeks as part of California Highway Patrol sting operations throughout Oakland and the East Bay, the governor’s office announced Tuesday. Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2024 Gig left last February, but city officials are still recuperating from the sting of its loss. Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 7 Mar. 2024 Speed dating also requires a bigger emotional investment than app swiping — so the sting of rejection can feel more intense. Tatum Hunter, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 For us, tarantula venom is akin to that of a typical bee sting. Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024 Fahie was arrested in April 2022 in Miami following a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration sting operation. Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 Although only about 50 of the 2,750 total scorpion species are capable of inflicting stings considered to be extremely dangerous to humans, scorpion stings contribute to over 3,000 human deaths annually. Scott Travers, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 His work included the development of the vividly descriptive Schmidt sting pain index as a means of comparing the effects of insect venom. Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sting.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English stingan; akin to Old Norse stinga to sting and probably to Greek stachys spike of grain, stochos target, aim

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sting was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near sting

Cite this Entry

“Sting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sting. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sting

1 of 2 verb
stung ˈstəŋ How to pronounce sting (audio) ; stinging ˈstiŋ-iŋ How to pronounce sting (audio)
1
a
: to prick painfully especially with a sharp or poisonous stinger
stung by a bee
b
: to affect with or feel quick piercing pain or smart
hail stung their faces
2
: to cause to suffer mentally
stung with regret
3
: overcharge sense 1, cheat
got stung on the deal
4
: to use a stinger
bees sting

sting

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: the act of stinging
b
: a wound or pain caused by or as if by stinging
2
stingless
ˈstiŋ-ləs
adjective

Medical Definition

sting

1 of 2 verb
stung ˈstəŋ How to pronounce sting (audio) ; stinging ˈstiŋ-iŋ How to pronounce sting (audio)

transitive verb

: to prick painfully: as
a
: to pierce or wound with a poisonous or irritating process
b
: to affect with sharp quick pain

intransitive verb

: to feel or cause a keen burning pain or smart
the injection stung

sting

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: the act of stinging
specifically : the thrust of a stinger into the flesh
b
: a wound or pain caused by or as if by stinging
2

Legal Definition

sting

noun
: an elaborate confidence game
specifically : such a game worked by undercover police in order to catch criminals

More from Merriam-Webster on sting

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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