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
Synonyms
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
Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2024
The decision means audiences can expect Stewart to continue needling lawmakers as well as a future President Kamala Harris or Donald Trump with his stinging commentary and satire well into their first year in office.
—Liam Reilly, CNN, 28 Oct. 2024
Larry Fleisher, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
In the stunned, ringing silence of the visiting locker room, Lutz and many others struggled to find words to describe the sting.
—Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024
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
Ahead of Election Day coming up on Tuesday Nov. 5, the hip-hop hitmaker delivered a fiery speech that lasted nearly 10 minutes, complete with stinging soundbites and her signature, seemingly off-the-cuff swagger at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, Wisconsin, a suburb outside Milwaukee.
—Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2024
The decision means audiences can expect Stewart to continue needling lawmakers as well as a future President Kamala Harris or Donald Trump with his stinging commentary and satire well into their first year in office.
—Liam Reilly, CNN, 28 Oct. 2024
Noun
The sting still remains but this week brought a reminder in the context of reaching the World Series the season was a success and also brought pleasant memories of notable performances during the 94-win regular season.
—Larry Fleisher, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
In the stunned, ringing silence of the visiting locker room, Lutz and many others struggled to find words to describe the sting.
—Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sting
Dictionary Entries Near sting
Cite this Entry
“Sting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sting. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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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