sting Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a kind of pain; something as sudden and painful as being stung
    stinging.
    • the sting of death
    • he felt the stinging of nettles
  2. noun a mental pain or distress
    pang.
    • a pang of conscience
  3. noun a painful wound caused by the thrust of an insect's stinger into skin
    bite; insect bite.
  4. noun a swindle in which you cheat at gambling or persuade a person to buy worthless property
    bunko; bunco game; bunko game; flimflam; con game; confidence game; gyp; bunco; hustle; confidence trick; con.
  5. verb cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort
    bite; burn.
    • The sun burned his face
  6. verb deliver a sting to
    bite; prick.
    • A bee stung my arm yesterday
  7. verb saddle with something disagreeable or disadvantageous
    stick.
    • They stuck me with the dinner bill
    • I was stung with a huge tax bill
  8. verb cause a stinging pain
    twinge; prick.
    • The needle pricked his skin
  9. verb cause an emotional pain, as if by stinging
    • His remark stung her

WordNet

Sting noun
Etymology
AS. sting a sting. See Sting, v. t.
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) Any sharp organ of offense and defense, especially when connected with a poison gland, and adapted to inflict a wound by piercing; as the caudal sting of a scorpion. The sting of a bee or wasp is a modified ovipositor. The caudal sting, or spine, of a sting ray is a modified dorsal fin ray. The term is sometimes applied to the fang of a serpent. See Illust. of Scorpion.
  2. (Bot.) A sharp-pointed hollow hair seated on a gland which secrets an acrid fluid, as in nettles. The points of these hairs usually break off in the wound, and the acrid fluid is pressed into it.
  3. Anything that gives acute pain, bodily or mental; as, the stings of remorse; the stings of reproach.
    The sting of death is sin. 1 Cor. xv. 56.
  4. The thrust of a sting into the flesh; the act of stinging; a wound inflicted by stinging. "The lurking serpent's mortal sting." Shak.
  5. A goad; incitement. Shak.
  6. The point of an epigram or other sarcastic saying.
Sting transitive verb
Etymology
AS. stingan; akin to Icel. & Sw. stinga, Dan. stinge, and probably to E. stick, v.t.; cf. Goth. usstiggan to put out, pluck out. Cf. Stick, v. t.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Stung (archaic Stang ); present participle & verbal noun Stinging
Definitions
  1. To pierce or wound with a sting; as, bees will sting an animal that irritates them; the nettles stung his hands.
  2. To pain acutely; as, the conscience is stung with remorse; to bite. "Slander stings the brave." Pope.
  3. To goad; to incite, as by taunts or reproaches.

Webster 1913