# stung

/ˈstəŋ/ (US) · /stˈʌŋ/ (UK) · CEFR B1 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/stung
Updated: 2026-05-07

## Definition

the past tense of 'sting', used when an insect or plant causes a sharp pain in your skin.

For teachers: the past tense and past participle of 'sting'; refers to the act of a sharp organ or hair piercing the skin and injecting venom.

## Examples

- A bee stung me on the arm yesterday.
- The hiker realized he had walked through a patch of nettles when his ankles suddenly stung.
- Although the physical wound was minor, the athlete felt stung by the coach's public criticism of his performance during the final minutes of the game.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The bee has stinged me" but "The bee has stung me" — Sting is an irregular verb; the past participle is 'stung', not 'stinged'.

## Usage notes

- The verb is transitive when referring to the act of piercing, but can be used intransitively to describe the resulting sensation of sharp pain.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.