Stung

stʌŋ

Meaning & Definition

verb

past tense and past participle of 'sting', meaning to pierce or wound with a sharp-pointed structure or to cause a sharp, often brief pain.

She was stung by a bee while she was gardening.

to be affected by something (often used figuratively) that causes a sharp, emotional pain or discomfort.

He felt stung by her harsh words.

to cause someone to feel a sudden emotional distress or injury.

The criticism stung him deeply.

Middle English stungen, from Old English stingan

stung by criticism:

to feel hurt or offended by someone's negative remarks

stung with regret:

to feel intense regret over a past action

stung like a bee:

to feel a sudden and sharp pain or disappointment

to be cheated or tricked

I got stung on that deal.

to feel betrayed or hurt by someone

I can't believe she would do that to me; I really feel stung.