sting

verb

\ ˈstiŋ

stung\ ˈstəŋ

\; stinging\ ˈstiŋ-iŋ

Definition of sting

(Entry 1 of 2)

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 : overcharge, cheat

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

sting

noun

Definition of sting (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : 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 : stinger sense 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

Other Words from sting Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about sting

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Synonyms & Antonyms for sting

Synonyms: Verb

gouge, overcharge, soak, surcharge

Synonyms: Noun

bunco (or bunko), con, fiddle [chiefly British], flimflam, fraud, gyp, hustle, scam, shell game, swindle

Antonyms: Verb

undercharge

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

Their cheeks were never stinging from just having been slapped. — Michael Harriot, The Root, "There’s Nothing Wrong With Treating an Asshole Like an Asshole," 25 June 2018 Some might still be stinging from Gentry’s base-running gaffe May 30, when his aggressiveness on the bases ran the Orioles out of a potential rally in the ninth inning in a two-run loss to the Washington Nationals. — Eduardo A. Encina, baltimoresun.com, "Opportunities have been fleeting for Orioles' Gentry, but he's taken them lately and run with them," 7 June 2018 But the turmoil surrounding the nomination could also sting Donnelly if Democrats are seen as politicizing the allegation. — Brian Slodysko, The Seattle Times, "GOP frets about prospects for picking up Indiana Senate seat," 18 Sep. 2018 In a series full of brutal moments, this one still really stings. — Emma Dibdin, Harper's BAZAAR, "Sharp Objects Episode 7: Adora Shows Her True Colors," 20 Aug. 2018 And unlike bees, wasps and hornets, the bald-face hornet can sting multiple times, according to Orkin. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "QUIZ: Can You Identify These Dangerous Summer Plants and Bugs?," 3 Aug. 2018 Trump was stung by Mattis’ resignation, which the president saw as an inappropriate public rebuke, people familiar with his views said. — John Hudson, The Seattle Times, "Many of Trump’s advisers tried to derail Syria withdrawal," 13 Jan. 2019 Some factions of the group were also stung by lawmakers’ decision to eliminate time-and-half pay on Sundays and holidays as part of the legislation, adding to the unease among its 100-plus members. — Matt Stout And Joshua Miller, BostonGlobe.com, "Advocates won’t pursue minimum wage referendum if Baker signs ‘grand bargain’," 27 June 2018 Moraitis and other commissioners were stung by a recent survey that found residents don’t think Fort Lauderdale is a good place to raise children. — Brittany Wallman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Panthers consider ice rink at War Memorial in Fort Lauderdale," 26 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images BlacKkKlansman is about an undercover sting operation that makes fools of the KKK The bulk of BlacKkKlansman is Stallworth’s story, based on his book Black Klansman. — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, "Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman draws a ham-fisted line from white supremacy’s past to its present," 15 May 2018 Administration officials, as well as the president’s allies, have meanwhile tried to spin the sting of deaths as fairly a rare occurrence. — Amanda Sakuma, Vox, "Trump is using the deaths of two migrant children to push for his border wall," 29 Dec. 2018 This Jersey City sting follows similar operations across cities in New Mexico, California, and Oregon, according to the AP. — Jon Porter, The Verge, "Police use cameras and fake Amazon boxes with GPS to catch thieves," 12 Dec. 2018 Where others might have ramped up round capacity by increasing chamber size, Sripol's mod gives foam darts the sting of a paintball gun. — Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, "Nerf Gun Powered by Hydrogen Is So Powerful It Rips Darts Apart," 6 Dec. 2018 Jerry Jacobson and his network of mobsters, psychics, strip-club owners and drug traffickers won almost every prize for 12 years, until the FBI launched an undercover scam sting called Operation Final Answer. — Recode Staff, Recode, "Recode Daily: Uber is dumping its controversy-plagued self-driving truck business," 31 July 2018 Stone reportedly advised her again, but her political aspirations were stymied by an arrest right before the primary, this time stemming from a drug sting. — Jen Kirby, Vox, "The former “Manhattan Madam” has met with Robert Mueller’s team," 4 Aug. 2018 And #PermitPatty, the infamous white woman who called the police on an 8-year-old black girl selling water, is the latest to feel the cold sting of karma. — Breanna Edwards, The Root, "The Comeuppance Continues: At Least 6 Businesses Cut Ties With #PermitPatty After Viral Video," 26 June 2018 The sting operation targets the most at-risk areas in the city identified from a combination of crime data and Amazon’s own theft reports. — Jon Porter, The Verge, "Police use cameras and fake Amazon boxes with GPS to catch thieves," 12 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sting.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.