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
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
Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
Late on, Eze’s strike stung Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez’s hands before he was substituted.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Bill Melugin, FOXNews.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Police in Las Vegas announced details of the undercover sting on Friday.
—Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sting
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.
Verb
Senior running back/receiver/linebacker Luke Tingley said that one still stings.
—Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
Late on, Eze’s strike stung Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez’s hands before he was substituted.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
Noun
The agency said that the sting targeted transnational organized crime, gangs and egregious offenders.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Bill Melugin, FOXNews.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Police in Las Vegas announced details of the undercover sting on Friday.
—Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sting
Cite this Entry
“Sting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sting. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share