Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

stinging

/ˈstɪŋɪŋ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.07 in modern English

Syllables: sting-ing
IPA: /ˈstɪŋɪŋ/

10

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Having the capacity to sting.

adj

Precise and hurtful.

verb

present participle and gerund of sting

noun

The act by which someone receives a sting.

Example Sentences

"stinging nettles"
"a stinging indictment of the American prison system"
"That same year, a young Gloria Steinem went undercover as a Playboy Bunny at one of his Playboy Clubs and wrote a stinging inside critique of the magazine's ethos and chauvinism in an article, titled "A Bunny's Tale," which was published in Show magazine."
"The desert storm was riding in its strength; the travellers lay beneath the mastery of the fell simoom.[…]Drifts of yellow vapour, fiery, parching, stinging, filled the air."
"the stingings of scorpions"
"stingings of remorse"

Etymology

From Middle English styngyng; equivalent to sting + -ing.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: styngyng

Inflected Forms

more stinging (comparative) most stinging (superlative) stingings (plural)

Derived Forms

stingingly stingingness

Phrases

stinging catfish

Synonyms

smart cutting edged sting

Rhymes With

bringing singing swinging ringing clinging springing slinging flinging stringing wringing pinging winging

Questions

How do you pronounce stinging?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈstɪŋɪŋ/.
What does stinging mean?: Having the capacity to sting.
Where does stinging come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce stinging

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “stinging”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈstɪŋɪŋ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “stinging”.
Repeat and practice — Say “stinging” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.