sting

sting¹ [stıŋ] v past tense and past participle stung [stʌŋ]

[: Old English; Origin: stingan]

1.) [I and T]

if an insect or a plant stings you, it makes a very small hole in your skin and you feel a sharp pain because of a poisonous substance

▪ He was stung by a bee.

2.) [I and T]

to make something hurt with a sudden sharp pain, or to hurt like this

▪ Antiseptic stings a little.

▪ Chopping onions makes my eyes sting.

3.) [I,T usually passive]

if you are stung by a remark, it makes you feel upset

▪ She had been stung by criticism.

sting sb into (doing) sth

▪ Her harsh words stung him into action.

sting for [sting sb for sth]

1.) to charge someone too much for something

▪ The garage stung him for £300.

2.) to borrow money from someone

▪ Can I sting you for a fiver?

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HINT sense 1

A bee, wasp, scorpion, or plant can sting you. For a mosquito, ant, or snake, use bite.

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sting ²

sting² n

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1¦(wound)¦

2¦(insect)¦

3¦(pain)¦

4 a sting in the tail

5

6¦(crime)¦

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1.) ¦(WOUND)¦

a wound or mark made when an insect or plant stings you

▪ a bee sting

2.) ¦(INSECT)¦ BrE

the sharp needle-shaped part of an insect's or animal's body, with which it stings you

American Equivalent: stinger

3.) ¦(PAIN)¦ [singular]

a sharp pain in your eyes or skin, caused by being hit, by smoke etc

▪ She felt the sting of tears in her eyes.

4.) a sting in the tail

if a story, event, or announcement has a sting in its tail, there is an unpleasant part at the end of it

5.) [singular]

the upsetting or bad effect of a situation

▪ the sting of rejection

take the sting out of sth

(=make something less unpleasant or painful)

▪ She smiled to take the sting out of her words.

6.) ¦(CRIME)¦

a clever way of catching criminals in which the police secretly pretend to be criminals themselves