sting
verb (used with object)
to prick or wound with a sharp-pointed, often venom-bearing organ.
have stung
-
present perfectof sting.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And to have such a global hit get it wrong would have stung.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2025
This time, Justice Samuel Alito wrote the majority opinion—a move that must have stung, since Oldham clerked for Alito 16 years earlier.
From Slate ● Jul. 10, 2025
That the Seahawks just seemed to be out-physicaled as the game wore on might have stung their pride even more than the loss itself.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 14, 2022
As much as it might have stung, Thompson-Robinson agreed that the critique accurately depicted the unfulfilled promise of his first four years as a Bruin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2022
It must have stung smartly, but I didn’t feel a thing.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
