stinger

noun

sting·​er ˈstiŋ-ər 

plural stingers

1

: one that stings

specifically : a sharp blow or remark

2

: a sharp organ (as of a bee, scorpion, or stingray) that is usually connected with a poison gland or otherwise adapted to wound by piercing and injecting a poison

3

: a cocktail usually consisting of brandy and white crème de menthe

4

medical : a usually sports-related injury of the brachial plexus marked by a painful burning sensation that radiates from the neck down the arm and is often accompanied by weakness or numbness of the affected area

Arrington had missed the second quarter with a concussion and a stinger that left him, momentarily, without feeling in his left arm.

—Peter King

called also burner

5

: a short scene that appears during or after the closing credits of a movie or TV program

And don't walk out of said theater too fast either; the credits offer two stingers, one points the way toward a new comic franchise, another includes an escaped space monster.

—D. J. Palladino

Synonyms

• punch
• blow
• slap
• thump
• thud
• hit
• swipe
• stroke
• knock
• smack
• whack
• poke
• pound
• clip
• lick
• spank
• hook
• bang
• welt
• lash

Examples of stinger in a Sentence

the stinger of a bee

in the eighth round he delivered a stinger that knocked his opponent flat

Recent Examples on the Web

As such, the film doesn’t need any stingers after the credits to state what is already obvious. —Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025

There were little white triangles running down the reddish-brown side of its furry body, like insignia on the side of a warplane; all tapering down to a sharp end that looked like a stinger. —Mark Gauert, Sun Sentinel, 8 June 2025

That 2-1 defeat was a stinger — Tōko Koga’s decisive goal in the 50th minute hushed an otherwise raucous San Diego crowd. —Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 31 May 2025

On the ground were scorpions, light in color, but armed with a stinger, according to the study. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 22 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for stinger

• bringer
• clinger
• dinger
• inger
• ringer
• slinger
• springer
• stringer
• winger
• wringer

Kids Definition

stinger

noun

sting·​er ˈstiŋ-ər 

1

: one that stings

especially : a piercing blow or remark

2

: a sharp organ of some animals (as bees or scorpions) that is used to wound, paralyze, or kill prey or an enemy by piercing and injecting a poisonous fluid

Medical Definition

stinger

noun

sting·​er ˈstiŋ-ər 

1

: a sharp organ (as of a wasp, bee, scorpion, or stingray) that is usually connected with a poison gland or otherwise adapted to wound by piercing and injecting a poison

2

: a usually sports-related injury of the brachial plexus marked by a painful burning sensation that radiates from the neck down the arm and is often accompanied by weakness or numbness of the affected area

called also burner