Refine this word faster

Stronger alternatives Opposite tone Use in context Cross-language nuance

Related Topic Clusters

Finance and Business Reporting Words

Vocabulary for clear reporting, forecasting, and executive summary writing.

Sting

//stɪŋ// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A bump left on the skin after having been stung.

    "Look at this nasty hornet sting: it's turned blue!"

  2. 2
    Storytelling in the context of a tabletop role-playing game, especially one published by White Wolf. uncountable
  3. 3
    operation designed to catch a person committing a criminal act wordnet
  4. 4
    A puncture made by an insect or arachnid in an attack, usually including the injection of venom.

    "She died from a bee sting."

  5. 5
    a swindle in which you cheat at gambling or persuade a person to buy worthless property wordnet
Show 14 more definitions
  1. 6
    A pointed portion of an insect or arachnid used for attack.
  2. 7
    a painful wound caused by the thrust of an insect's stinger into skin wordnet
  3. 8
    A sharp, localized pain primarily on the epidermis.

    "That plant will give a little sting if you touch it."

  4. 9
    a mental pain or distress wordnet
  5. 10
    A sharp-pointed hollow hair seated on a gland which secretes an acrid fluid, as in nettles.
  6. 11
    a kind of pain; something as sudden and painful as being stung wordnet
  7. 12
    The thrust of a sting into the flesh; the act of stinging; a wound inflicted by stinging.

    "the lurking serpent's mortal sting"

  8. 13
    A police operation in which the police pretend to engage in criminal activity in order to catch a criminal.

    "The criminal gang was caught after a successful sting."

  9. 14
    A short percussive phrase played by a drummer to accent the punchline in a comedy show.
  10. 15
    A brief sequence of music used in films, TV, and video games as a form of scenic punctuation or to identify the broadcasting station.
  11. 16
    A support for a wind tunnel model which extends parallel to the air flow.

    "The balance is mounted externally on top of the wind tunnel test section. A sting connects the balance to the model."

  12. 17
    The harmful or painful part of something. figuratively

    "The ſting of death is ſinne, […]"

  13. 18
    A goad; incitement.

    "O most potential love! vow, bond, nor space, / In thee hath neither sting, knot, nor confine"

  14. 19
    The concluding point of an epigram or other sarcastic saying.
Verb
  1. 1
    To hurt, usually by introducing poison or a sharp point, or both. ambitransitive
  2. 2
    present participle and gerund of ST form-of, gerund, participle, present
  3. 3
    saddle with something disagreeable or disadvantageous wordnet
  4. 4
    To puncture with the stinger. transitive

    "A mosquito stung me on the arm."

  5. 5
    deliver a sting to wordnet
Show 5 more definitions
  1. 6
    To hurt, to be in pain (physically or emotionally). figuratively, intransitive, sometimes

    "My eyes are stinging from the chopped onions."

  2. 7
    cause an emotional pain, as if by stinging wordnet
  3. 8
    To cause harm or pain to. figuratively

    "I thought I could park in front of the hotel, but they stung me for five pounds!"

  4. 9
    cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort wordnet
  5. 10
    cause a stinging pain wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English styng, sting, stynge, stenge, from Old English sting, stincg (“a sting, stab, thrust made with a pointed instrument; the wound made by a stab or sting”), from Proto-Germanic *stingaz; possibly also from Old English stynġ, from Proto-Germanic *stungiz.

Etymology 2

From Middle English stingen, from Old English stingan, from Proto-Germanic *stinganą. Compare Swedish and Icelandic stinga.

See also for "sting"

Synonyms Antonyms Rhymes Sentences Translate Word Type Pronunciation Word Forms

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciation

Mini challenge

Unscramble this word: sting