Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Causing a sharp, burning, or tingling pain: Describes a sensation that is sharp, sudden, and often painful, similar to that caused by an insect sting or a nettle.
   • Harsh, biting, or hurtful in tone or character: Used to describe speech, criticism, or remarks that are sharply critical, sarcastic, or designed to hurt someone's feelings.

2. Noun:

   • A kind of sharp, sudden pain: The physical sensation of being stung or experiencing a similar sharp, burning pain.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • The stinging sensation from the jellyfish lasted for hours. (Describes a physical pain.)
  • She couldn't forget his stinging criticism of her work. (Describes hurtful speech.)

• Noun:

  • He winced at the stinging of the antiseptic on the cut. (Refers to the painful sensation.)
  • The stinging from the bee sting was intense but brief. (Refers to the specific pain from a sting.)

Advanced Usage

• "A stinging rebuke": A sharp, severe, and humiliating criticism or reprimand.

  • The manager's stinging rebuke left the entire team silent.

• "Stinging defeat": A loss that is particularly painful, humiliating, or decisive.

  • The election result was a stinging defeat for the incumbent party.

Variants and Related Words

• Sting (verb/noun): The act of causing or the sensation of a sharp pain. (e.g., )
• Stingingly (adverb): In a stinging manner. (e.g., )
• Stinger (noun): The sharp organ of an insect or animal that delivers a sting.

Synonyms

• Adjective (pain): Smarting, burning, tingling, sharp.
• Adjective (speech): Cutting, biting, caustic, scathing, acerbic, hurtful.

Related Phrases

• Stinging nettle: A common plant whose leaves have hairs that cause a stinging sensation when touched.
  • Be careful not to brush against the stinging nettles.

Related Idioms

• To take the sting out of something: To make something less painful or unpleasant.
  • Her kind words took the sting out of the criticism.
• A sting in the tail: An unexpected and unpleasant ending or consequence.
  • The contract seemed generous, but it had a real sting in the tail.

Adjective

1. (of speech) harsh or hurtful in tone or character
   • cutting remarks
   • edged satire
   • a stinging comment

Noun

1. a kind of pain; something as sudden and painful as being stung
   • the sting of death
   • he felt the stinging of nettles