sting

verb

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\ 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 Phrases Containing sting Learn More About sting

Synonyms & Antonyms for sting

Synonyms: Verb

Synonyms: Noun

bunco
(or bunko),
con,
fiddle
[chiefly British],
flimflam,
fraud,
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 See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Knowles has always been known more as a schemer than as a recruiter, but that doesn’t take the sting out of how linebacker recruiting has gone in 2023. — Stephen Means, cleveland, 6 Aug. 2022 High prices for oil and wheat are hammering countries that borrowed heavily last year to fund pandemic relief, leaving little public money for measures that would take the sting out of rising costs, officials said in a new report. — David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 7 July 2022 Ultimately, no amount of childcare or wealth takes the sting out of having to change four diapers in a row. — Emma Specter, Vogue, 27 July 2022 The school board's actions are enough to make World readers pray for an FBI sting operation. — Rex Nelson, Arkansas Online, 17 July 2022 Why do some claim the Patriot Front is an FBI sting operation? — Grayson Quay, The Week, 6 July 2022 Meanwhile, inflation continues to sting businesses. — CBS News, 8 June 2022 Reed was freed in an exchange for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian cargo plane pilot who was jailed in the U.S. in 2011, after he was seized in a DEA sting operation and convicted of plotting to smuggle large quantities of cocaine. — Bypatrick Reevell, ABC News, 4 May 2022 In 2001, Ortiz stole a car that had been left unlocked in an alley in Whittier as part of a police sting operation. — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun But, for now, that doesn’t ease the sting of losing out on having Hader around the clubhouse. — Curt Hogg, Journal Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2022 People determined to hit the road still have ways to at least ease the sting of gas prices. — Gregory Wallace, CNN, 21 June 2022 Yet the reassurance of a new deal, the second-place finish and the likelihood of being a contender in the 2023 Indy 500 didn’t ease the sting of the 1.7929 difference between O’Ward and the glass of milk. — Gabby Hajduk, The Indianapolis Star, 30 May 2022 Sullivan said Biden is still studying the issue, particularly whether removing the tariffs would ease the sting of inflation by lowering prices. — Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY, 23 May 2022 The Japanese government is addressing the energy issue not by trying to change currency rates but by giving subsidies to oil distributors and preparing other support to ease the sting. — Megumi Fujikawa, WSJ, 28 Mar. 2022 The coronavirus could yet evolve into more severe variants, although vaccines would still be expected to blunt their sting. — Ed Yong, The Atlantic, 11 July 2022 Officials say their sting can be extremely painful and can lead to hospitalization. — Fox News, 6 July 2022 Jews in the South had also felt the sting of discrimination, persecution and attacks from the Ku Klux Klan. — al, 16 July 2022 See More

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.