sting
verb (used with object)
to prick or wound with a sharp-pointed, often venom-bearing organ.
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.
After the stinging rounds of layoffs, Kim said, the university expects to “significantly exceed” the roughly $30-million surplus he forecast for USC earlier this year during his state-of-the-university speech, though final numbers are pending.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
For several days this summer the Albanian city of Elbasan choked in a dense cloud of stinging smoke coming from the direction of its notorious steelworks.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Shazeer’s departure is especially stinging because Google parent Alphabet spent billions of dollars bringing him back to the company only two years ago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
"I would be lying if we're still not stinging from when we did that."
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Galya, standing behind Masha, pulled Masha’s goggles down over her stinging eyes to protect them in the smoke-filled plane so that she’d be able to see to glide in to land.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
