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

Charlize Theron popped up in the stinger for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, never to be seen again. —Eliana Dockterman, Time, 11 July 2025

Tips for dealing with stings If possible, remove the stinger, apply a cold compress to the area and take an antihistamine and pain reliever, the Cleveland Clinic said. —Laura Daniella Sepulveda, AZCentral.com, 9 July 2025

Three of their five Ls were one-possession stingers, including the frenetic 90-88 matchup with the Liberty last month. —Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 14 June 2025

The scorpion’s telson, or stinger, sits on the end of the tail-like structure, sharpened to a point. —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