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
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
1
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
Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2025
According to the Entomology department at North Carolina State, Asian needle ants try to avoid contact with humans, but will sting when pressured.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 June 2025
Zak Keefer, New York Times, 20 June 2025
The protesters are showing up to object to the sting operation perpetrated on people with valid identification who were told to register with an immigration office.
—Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sting
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
What to know: Free to enter; no lifeguards or facilities and the salty water can sting cuts or irritate sensitive skin.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2025
According to the Entomology department at North Carolina State, Asian needle ants try to avoid contact with humans, but will sting when pressured.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 June 2025
Noun
For Mahomes and Kelce, the faces of this Chiefs’ dynasty, February’s Super Bowl loss still stings.
—Zak Keefer, New York Times, 20 June 2025
The protesters are showing up to object to the sting operation perpetrated on people with valid identification who were told to register with an immigration office.
—Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sting
Cite this Entry
“Sting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sting. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sting
1 of 2 verb1
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 noun1
a
: the act of stinging
b
: a wound or pain caused by or as if by stinging
2
stingless
adjective
ˈstiŋ-ləs
Medical Definition
sting
1 of 2 verb
: to prick painfully: as
a
: to pierce or wound with a poisonous or irritating process
b
: to affect with sharp quick pain
: to feel or cause a keen burning pain or smart
the injection stung
sting
2 of 2 noun1
2
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