STINGING Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

stinging 1 of 2

adjective

as in biting

causing intense discomfort to one's skin these cold, stinging winds are not just a discomfort—they can be dangerous to exposed flesh

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

stinging

2 of 2

verb

present participle of sting

as in gouging

to charge (someone) too much for goods or services a nightclub that's been stinging patrons for years

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

undercharging

as in plucking

to rob by the use of trickery or threats swindlers who sting unwary tourists by posing as officials demanding money

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of stinging

Adjective

Mungiu craftily plants the seed of this crisis in his opening shot, set in the aftermath of a stinging act of parental discipline. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026 At an early New York screening, Douglas recalls Wall Street traders being stunned by the film’s stinging accuracy. — Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 Biting and stinging arthropods, such as wasps, mosquitos and spiders, account for five states. — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026 That move came just as the clock was running out Friday on stopgap levies the president imposed after a stinging defeat for other tariffs at the Supreme Court. — ABC News, 24 July 2026 The researchers' device aims to solve the stinging problem by physically preventing this meeting (unfortunately no images of it are available at this time). — New Atlas, 30 June 2026 Since September of 2024, federal science agencies in the US have axed nearly 120,000 employees, in a stinging loss for public research. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 25 June 2026 Jean-Philippe Mateta, named in France’s World Cup squad earlier this month, reacted superbly after Rayo keeper Augusto Batalla could only parry a stinging Wharton shot from the edge of the box. — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 27 May 2026 Coming up short in the 2025 ISL boys lacrosse championship left a stinging sensation for Tabor Academy. — Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 17 May 2026

Verb

That money has been transformed into frequent online and television ads either stinging or lauding the two candidates. — John Aguilar, Denver Post, 7 Oct. 2026 Indy struggled against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in its season opener, then took a stinging 33-30 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. — Elise Devlin, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2026 As of today, with that $7 million ticking fee to WBD shareholders kicking in October 1 and Ellison’s leaked threat to pull up HQ stakes outta the Golden State still stinging, the deal still sits in legal limbo. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026 And in the Northwest, unseasonably warm temperatures combined with drier fall conditions may extend ant and stinging insect activity. — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 25 Sep. 2026 Some baby hummingbirds disguise themselves as caterpillars with stinging hairs to avoid predators, while octopus, squid, and cuttlefish use camouflage to blend in with their surroundings and hide. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2026 How to prevent wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets Proactive maintenance can keep stinging insects from setting up home on your property. — Nick Perry, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026 Democrats, fresh off of stinging losses in the 2024 election up and down the ballot, have rebounded with their voting base and independents unhappy with the status quo. — Stephen Fowler, NPR, 8 Sep. 2026 Top legislators have concerns that such a move would have led insurers to further raise premiums across a state where homeowners are already stinging from recent rate increases. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 29 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stinging

Adjective

Her version is louder and more biting, but never at the sacrifice of the track’s spirit.

— Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
In 2022, Lee County’s Mosquito Control District decided to try aiming radiation at mosquitoes instead, specifically the biting, disease-carrying kind — Aedes aegypti.

— Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of biting

Verb

During Fortescue’s early years, the environmental toll of gouging metals from the earth was all but an afterthought.

— Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026
Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping during the war in Gaza led to a decrease in traffic through the Suez Canal, gouging Egypt’s revenues.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of gouging

Verb

LLMs are great at finding blowups that exist—at searching the infinite landscape of fluid scenarios and plucking out the precise situation that breaks the equations.

— Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 21 Sep. 2026
Fortunately, many dahlia insect problems in September can be solved by walking through the garden in the morning and plucking the offending insects off the plants by hand, then dropping them into a container of soapy water.

— Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of plucking

Adjective

In the ensuing decade, lawyers at Texas Instruments and at Fairchild fought a bitter court battle over the patent.

— Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
And as a bitter midterm campaign season enters its final weeks, Bouchon and Goldhirsh understand the stakes.

— Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of bitter

Verb

Democrats have hammered on meat as well, but mainly just as one of the staples that cost more under Trump, squeezing voters’ pocketbooks.

— Nicholas Riccardi, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026
Democrats have hammered on meat as well, but mainly just as one of the staples that cost more under Trump, squeezing voters' pocketbooks.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of squeezing

Adjective

On its face, however, this inspirational message seems in sharp contrast to economic reality.

— Masood Ahmed, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
Bajaria’s foresight was sharper, investing in local language productions and building up Netflix’s global presence (almost two dozen international offices were opened during Bajaria’s reign).

— Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of sharp

Browse Nearby Words

stinginess

stinging

stings

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Style

“Stinging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stinging. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of stinging

adjective

verb

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