Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Language: Old English
Origin: stingan

sting

1 verb
     
Related topics: Insects
sting1 past tense and past participle stung
1 [intransitive and transitive]HBI if an insect or a plant stings you, it makes a very small hole in your skin and you feel a sharp pain because of a poisonous substance:
He was stung by a bee.
! A bee, wasp, scorpion, or plant can sting you. For a mosquito, ant, or snake, use bite.
2 [intransitive and transitive] to make something hurt with a sudden sharp pain, or to hurt like this:
Antiseptic stings a little.
Chopping onions makes my eyes sting.
3 [intransitive,transitive usually passive] if you are stung by a remark, it makes you feel upset:
She had been stung by criticism.
sting somebody into (doing) something
Her harsh words stung him into action.

sting somebody for something

1 to charge someone too much for something:
The garage stung him for £300.
2 to borrow money from someone:
Can I sting you for a fiver?
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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