STINGING Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

stinging 1 of 2

adjective

as in biting

causing intense discomfort to one's skin these cold, stinging winds are not just a discomfort—they can be dangerous to exposed flesh

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

stinging

2 of 2

verb

present participle of sting

as in gouging

to charge (someone) too much for goods or services a nightclub that's been stinging patrons for years

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

undercharging

as in plucking

to rob by the use of trickery or threats swindlers who sting unwary tourists by posing as officials demanding money

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of stinging

Adjective

Biting and stinging arthropods, such as wasps, mosquitos and spiders, account for five states. — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026 That move came just as the clock was running out Friday on stopgap levies the president imposed after a stinging defeat for other tariffs at the Supreme Court. — ABC News, 24 July 2026 The researchers' device aims to solve the stinging problem by physically preventing this meeting (unfortunately no images of it are available at this time). — New Atlas, 30 June 2026 Since September of 2024, federal science agencies in the US have axed nearly 120,000 employees, in a stinging loss for public research. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 25 June 2026 Jean-Philippe Mateta, named in France’s World Cup squad earlier this month, reacted superbly after Rayo keeper Augusto Batalla could only parry a stinging Wharton shot from the edge of the box. — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 27 May 2026 Coming up short in the 2025 ISL boys lacrosse championship left a stinging sensation for Tabor Academy. — Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 17 May 2026 Parasitoids are non-stinging wasps, flies, and other insects that develop on or in a host, eventually killing it. — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 May 2026 My eyes, raw and stinging, now filled with their own salty tears. — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026

Verb

Some baby hummingbirds disguise themselves as caterpillars with stinging hairs to avoid predators, while octopus, squid, and cuttlefish use camouflage to blend in with their surroundings and hide. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2026 How to prevent wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets Proactive maintenance can keep stinging insects from setting up home on your property. — Nick Perry, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026 Democrats, fresh off of stinging losses in the 2024 election up and down the ballot, have rebounded with their voting base and independents unhappy with the status quo. — Stephen Fowler, NPR, 8 Sep. 2026 Mas launched his own stinging move around the same place that Omrzel attacked. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Top legislators have concerns that such a move would have led insurers to further raise premiums across a state where homeowners are already stinging from recent rate increases. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 29 Aug. 2026 The breakthrough clue was its cnidocysts, specialized cells found in invertebrates such as jellyfish and corals that contain their stinging bits. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Aug. 2026 Battered fish and salt-and-vinegar-seasoned chips have been a staple for hundreds of years, best paired with stinging seaside winds and spray. — Will Barker, TheWeek, 17 Aug. 2026 Nidhi, still pleading with her to drop them, followed, the long grass stinging her ankles. — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stinging

Adjective

The pacing is more frenetic, the narration more biting, the flashbacks more jarring, and the comedowns much harsher.

— Hannah Giorgis Yohannes, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026
Described as a biting political thriller in the tradition of Wild in the Streets and V for Vendetta, The Hunted is set in a dystopian America where trans people are brutalized and erased to the margins of society.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 20 June 2026

Definition of biting

Verb

The shrapnel tore through the metal surrounding the engine, shattering the window at row 11, leaving a dent in the plane near row 8 and puncturing the body below the wing, as well as gouging and denting the tail, the NTSB said.

— Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
The agencies also encouraged states with price-gouging statutes to determine whether enforcement actions are warranted under those laws.

— Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 3 July 2026

Definition of gouging

Verb

Weiss has been reworking CBS News’ broadcast lineup, plucking Tony Dokoupil from the program for the Evening News slot, and most recently overhauling 60 Minutes under new executive producer Nick Bilton.

— Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026
The streamer has found its leading lady for the biopic, plucking an unknown first-timer to play the sertanejo icon.

— Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of plucking

Adjective

After years of upheaval in Florida State athletics—including a then-unprecedented flirtation with private equity and a bitter legal fight with the Atlantic Coast Conference—the school has parted ways with athletic director Michael Alford.

— Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Of course, Kiffin left, a bitter and acrimonious separation that played out over 14 agonizing days, just as the Rebels prepped for their first College Football Playoff game in history.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of bitter

Verb

Written and rendered by dudes who longed for unlimited success, these are songs about cheating and being cheated on and trying but failing to be content, or love as lived amid capitalist indulgence.

— Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 30 Aug. 2026
In this case, the reward was solving the ExploitGym questions and the hacking was literally hacking—cheating on the test and then hacking into Hugging Face in an effort to cover up the cheating (more on that below).

— Emily Forlini, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of cheating

Adjective

Danish filmmaker May el-Toukhy, one of the two female directors competing for the Golden Lion this year, in Venice with a sharp, searing analysis of the women thrown to the wolves in the aftermath of World War II.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026
The fruits are enjoyed by birds, and deer tend to avoid this shrub, most likely due to the sharp spines.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of sharp

Verb

The primary suite has dual walk-in closets, a soaking tub surrounded by 10-foot tumbled travertine stone walls, a steam shower, dry sauna and private fitness area.

— David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2026
Bathrooms are equipped with rain showers, motion-sensing Toto toilets, and soaking tubs.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of soaking

Browse Nearby Words

stinginess

stinging

stings

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Style

“Stinging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stinging. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of stinging

adjective

verb

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