stung

/stiɳ/

Thân thiện

The child was stung by a bee in the garden.

Definition

Adjective 1. Feeling sharp pain, irritation, or anger: The state of being hurt, physically or emotionally, often resulting in a feeling of annoyance, resentment, or wounded pride. This meaning is primarily used to describe a person's emotional state after being insulted, tricked, or treated unfairly. 2. Caused to feel sharp pain: Affected by a sharp, sudden, and often burning pain, typically from a physical source like an insect or plant.

Usage Examples

• Adjective (Emotional):
  • She felt stung by his harsh criticism. (She felt hurt and offended by his words.)
  • He was stung by the accusation of dishonesty. (The accusation caused him to feel sharp emotional pain.)
  • The team was stung by their unexpected defeat. (The loss caused them to feel wounded pride and disappointment.)
• Adjective (Physical):
  • My arm is stung and swollen from the bee. (My arm is painful and swollen from the bee's sting.)
  • His eyes were stung by the smoke. (The smoke caused a sharp, painful sensation in his eyes.)

Advanced Usage

• "To be stung into action": To be provoked or spurred into doing something, often by criticism or a challenge.
  • The negative reviews stung the director into revising the script.
• "Stung by conscience/remorse": Feeling a sharp pang of guilt or regret.
  • He was stung by remorse after realizing his mistake.

Variants and Related Words

• Sting (verb): To cause a sharp, smarting pain, either physically (as with an insect) or emotionally (as with an unkind remark).
  • The jellyfish can sting swimmers.
  • Her betrayal stung him deeply.
• Sting (noun): The sharp, often poisonous organ of an insect; the act of stinging; or a sharp, often painful feeling.
  • The bee's sting was painful.
  • He felt the sting of her words.

Synonyms

• Hurt: To cause emotional pain or distress.
• Wounded: Injured, especially in feelings or pride.
• Piqued: Stimulated to irritation or resentment.
• Nettled: Irritated or annoyed.
• Irritated: Showing or feeling slight anger; annoyed.

Related Phrasal Verbs/Constructions

• Sting for (something) (informal): To charge someone a large or excessive amount of money.
  • They really stung me for the repairs.
• Sting with (an emotion): To be filled with a sharp, painful emotion.
  • His heart was stinging with regret.

Related Idioms

• A sting in the tail: An unpleasant or problematic conclusion to something that initially seemed good.
  • The contract had a sting in the tail: hidden fees.
• Take the sting out of (something): To make an unpleasant situation less painful or severe.
  • His apology helped take the sting out of the criticism.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. aroused to impatience or anger
   • made an irritated gesture
   • feeling nettled from the constant teasing
   • peeved about being left out
   • felt really pissed at her snootiness
   • riled no end by his lies
   • roiled by the delay