What's the past tense of "sting"?
The simple past tense of sting is stung, and the past participle is also stung. Use stung for both simple past and past participle forms.
Definition of sting
The verb sting means "if an insect or an animal stings you, it hurts you by sticking a sharp part of its body into your skin." In conversation, you might say 'don't go too close to those bees, otherwise they'll sting you.'
- The past tense of sting is stung.
- The past participle of sting is stung.
Verb forms of 'sting'
Is "sting" a regular or irregular verb?
The verb sting is irregular. Its past tense and past participle forms are both stung, not "stinged." It's sing, sang, sung, and ring, rang, rung, but sting doesn't follow the same pattern—it's sting, stung, stung. This is a pattern shared with verbs like hang, swing, and stick.
When to use "stung" (past) vs. "stung" (participle)
A bee stung me!
She was stung by his callous remarks.
The verb sting uses the same form for both simple past tense and present or past perfect), it requires an auxiliary verb like was, have, or had. The simple past doesn't use a helper verb since it's a complete tense, so stung can stand alone in sentences, whereas participles require an auxiliary verb.
Similar irregular verbs
Sentence examples: sting, stung, stung
• The bees will sting you if you bother them.
• It only stings for a few minutes.
• Be careful of the nettles—they sting!
• A bee stung me!
• The ocean water stung my eyes.
• The cold wind stung his exposed face.
• The hail had stung our faces.
• She was stung by his callous remarks.
• They have been stung by wasps before.
Synonyms & nearby words
Synonyms for sting
Nearby phrases
Common phrases with "sting" (detailed)
float like a butterfly, sting like a bee
sting like the devil
take the sting out of something
a sting in the tail
sting (one) to the quick
Practice: "Sting" conjugations
A jellyfish ______ my leg while I was swimming in the ocean.
He had been ______ by a wasp before, so he knew how much it would hurt.
The cold wind ______ his exposed face as he walked through the blizzard.
The antiseptic was ______ the wound, which was a good sign.
Certain types of nettle plants can ______ you if you touch them.
Origin of the verb/word, sting
Old English stingan "to stab, pierce, or prick with a point" (of weapons, insects, plants, etc.), from Proto-Germanic *stingan.
FAQs
What is the past tense of "sting"?
What is the past participle of "sting"?
Is "stang" the past tense of "sting"?
What does the verb "sting" mean?
How do I know if "stung" is past tense or past participle?
Sources
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Harper, Douglas. "sting (v.)." Online Etymology Dictionary. Accessed October 14, 2025.
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Oxford English Dictionary. "Sting, v." Oxford University Press. Accessed October 14, 2025.
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