Definition of sting - Reverso English Dictionary
Noun
1.
painsharp pain caused by insect or plant
- The bee's sting was very painful.
2.
biologypointed organ used for stinging
- The scorpion's sting is dangerous.
3.
law enforcementpolice operation to catch criminals
- The sting led to several arrests.
4.
emotionsharp mental or emotional pain
- Her words left a sting in his heart.
5.
crimeswindle or fraud
- He fell victim to a financial sting.
6.
musicTECH. short musical phrase for emphasisTECH.
- The drummer played a sting after the joke.
Verb
1.
insect attackinject poison with a sharp point
- The bee stings when threatened.
2.
bodycause a sharp physical pain
- The cut stings when I touch it.
3.
emotioncause emotional pain or hurt
- His words stung deeply.
4.
police tactictr. carry out a deceptive operation to catch criminalstr.
- The police set up a sting to catch the drug dealers.
5.
overchargetr. charge an excessive amount of moneytr.
- They really sting you with the prices at that bar.
Images of sting
pointed organ used for stinging
Expressions with sting
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
experience a sharp sudden pain on the body
You will feel the sting if the bee bites you.
take away the pain or discomfort
The ointment will remove the sting from the insect bite.
hidden drawback or difficulty
The offer seemed great, but there was a sting in the tail.
deliver a powerful punch with precision
He trained to sting like a bee in the ring.
make someone pay an unfair or high amount
The taxi driver stung me for fifty dollars.
puncture wound from a bee's stinger
She had a painful bee sting on her arm.
experience a sudden sharp pain on the body
I feel a sting when the bee lands on me.
irritation of the anus after eating spicy food
After the curry, he complained of ring sting.
covert operation to expose illegal activities
An undercover sting operation revealed the corruption in the company.
expresses triumph over death or loss of fear of dying
He faced his illness bravely, saying, 'Death where is thy sting?'.
questioning death's power or impact in a rhetorical way
In the poem, the hero asks, "Death where now thy sting?"?
Origin of sting
Old English, stingan (to prick)
Terms with sting included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
injury
mark or injury from teeth or sting
insect
type of ant known for painful sting
animal
sting like an insect
emotion
intense non-physical sting from shame or insult
sharp sting
cause a stinging pain
weather
sting severely like cold weather
injury
small puncture or sting causing minor pain
sting
cause a sharp physical pain
physical sting
cause a stinging sensation like nettles
insect
bite or sting with mouthparts
biology
having a sting or sharp point
zoology
sting of an insect like a bee
bee poison
venom from a honey bee's sting
biology
injection of venom by a bite or sting
biology
suffer pain or injury from an animal’s sting or sharp body part
emotional sting
creating lasting annoyance, anger, or sense of injustice
zoology
arachnid of order Uropygi lacking a sting
insect
having no sting or sharp organ
Examples of sting in a sentence
She winced at the sting of the needle. The bee's sting can be quite painful. Watch out for the jellyfish's sting! The sting was planned for months. A sting operation caught the thieves red-handed. The sting of betrayal was hard to bear.
His harsh criticism carried a sting of truth. The art sting involved fake paintings. They uncovered a sting targeting elderly people. The band ended the song with a sting. A sting highlighted the scene change in the play. Wasps can sting multiple times without dying. The scorpion stings its prey swiftly. Saltwater can sting a fresh scrape. My eyes sting after hours of smoke exposure. The criticism stung more than he expected. Her betrayal stung like a sharp knife. They planned a sting to catch the thief. A sting operation was organized to bust the gang. The restaurant will sting you if you're not careful. Tourists often get stung by high prices in this area.
View all translations of sting
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:piqûre, piquer, ...
- German:Stich, stechen, ...
- Italian:puntura, pungere, ...
- Spanish:picadura, picar, ...
- Portuguese:picada, picar, ...
- Chinese:蜇伤, 蜇, ...
- Japanese:刺し傷, 刺す, ...
- Arabic:لَسْعَة, لَدَغَ, ...
- Hebrew:עֲקִיצָה, לַעֲקוֹץ, ...
- Russian:укус, жалить, ...
- Ukrainian:укус, жалити, ...
- Hindi:डंक, डंक मारना, ...
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