sting
/stɪŋ/
noun
- A sharp, often painful wound caused by an insect, animal, or plant.
- She put ice on the wasp sting to reduce the pain.
- A bee sting can be very painful and cause swelling.
- The sting from a jellyfish left a red mark on his skin.
- A sharp, burning pain or sensation.
- He felt a sting of cold as he jumped into the lake.
- The sting of the wind made her eyes water.
- There was a sharp sting when the doctor gave the injection.
- A feeling of emotional pain or hurt.
- He felt the sting of rejection when his application was denied.
- The sting of failure motivated her to try harder.
- There was a sting of jealousy in her voice.
- A clever plan by police or other officials to catch criminals.
- The police set up a sting to catch the drug dealers.
- The FBI conducted a sting operation at the warehouse.
- He was arrested as part of a sting targeting art thieves.
verb
- To cause a sharp, sudden pain, usually by piercing the skin with a small point (like an insect or plant).
- The nettle plant stung my arm when I brushed against it.
- A jellyfish stung her leg while she was swimming.
- Be careful, those bees will sting you if you disturb them.
- To feel or cause a sharp, burning pain or sensation.
- The antiseptic stung when she applied it to the cut.
- His eyes stung from the smoke in the room.
- The cold wind stung his cheeks as he walked outside.
- To cause emotional pain or hurt someone's feelings.
- Her harsh words really stung him.
- The criticism stung more than he expected.
- It stung to be left out of the invitation.
- To cheat or overcharge someone, usually by charging too much money.
- The taxi driver stung us for twice the normal fare.
- They got stung by a dishonest mechanic who charged for unnecessary repairs.
- Tourists often get stung at that souvenir shop.