Word
stinging
Phoneticssting·ing
US/ˈstɪŋɪŋ/
UK/stˈɪŋɪŋ/
Definition
adj. causing a sharp, burning pain, like the feeling of a bee bite or a harsh comment. You use it to describe physical feelings or words that hurt your feelings.
adj. causing a sharp, localized, and burning sensation. Often used figuratively to describe critical or hurtful remarks that cause emotional distress.
Examples
“The stinging nettles hurt my legs while I was walking.”
“She felt a stinging sensation in her eyes as the smoke from the campfire blew toward her.”
“The politician's stinging rebuke of the new policy left his colleagues in stunned silence, effectively ending any hope for a quick consensus.”
Examples
simple
“The stinging nettles hurt my legs while I was walking.”
contextual
“She felt a stinging sensation in her eyes as the smoke from the campfire blew toward her.”
complex
“The politician's stinging rebuke of the new policy left his colleagues in stunned silence, effectively ending any hope for a quick consensus.”
Usage
Often used both literally for physical pain and figuratively for emotional impact.
Real-World Examples
“But it suffered a stinging defeat in the Senate on Tuesday.” Etymology
From Middle English styngyng; equivalent to sting + -ing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/stinging