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Pique vs Sting - What's the difference?

pique | sting | Synonyms |

In transitive terms the difference between pique and sting

is that pique is to excite (someone) to action by causing resentment or jealousy; to stimulate (a feeling, emotion); to offend by slighting while sting is to hurt, usually by introducing poison or a sharp point, or both.

pique

English

Etymology 1

(etyl) .

Noun

  • A feeling of enmity between two entities; ill-feeling, animosity; a transient feeling of wounded pride.
  • * Dr. H. More
    • Men take up piques and displeasures.
  • * De Quincey
    • Wars had arisen upon a personal pique .
  • A feeling of irritation or resentment, awakened by a social slight or injury; offence, especially taken in an emotional sense with little thought or consideration.
  • * 1994 , Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom , Abacus 2010, p. 7:
    • This defiance was not a fit of pique , but a matter of principle.
  • * Sweet Smell of Success (1957) screenplay by Clifford Odets and Ernest Lehman, starring Burt Lancaster as J.J. Hunsecker who says:
    • You think this is a personal thing with me? Are you telling me I think of this in terms of a personal pique ?
  • (obsolete) Keenly felt desire; a longing.
  • * Hudibras
    • Though it have the pique , and long, / 'Tis still for something in the wrong.

    Verb

    (piqu)
  • To wound the pride of; to sting; to nettle; to irritate; to fret; to excite to anger.
  • * 1913 ,
    • She treated him indulgently, as if he were a child. He thought he did not mind. But deep below the surface it piqued him.
  • * Byron
    • Pique her and soothe in turn.
  • (reflexive) To take pride in; to pride oneself on.
  • * John Locke
    • Men pique themselves upon their skill.
  • To excite (someone) to action by causing resentment or jealousy; to stimulate (a feeling, emotion); to offend by slighting.
    • I believe this will pique your interest.
    (Prior)

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) pic.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • In piquet, the right of the elder hand to count thirty in hand, or to play before the adversary counts one.

    • Etymology 3

    From (etyl) pique, from Central (etyl) piki.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A chigger or jigger, Tunga penetrans .

    • Etymology 4

    From (etyl)

    Noun

  • A durable ribbed fabric made from cotton, rayon, or silk.

    • References

    Anagrams

    * ----

    sting

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A bump left on the skin after having been stung.
  • A bite by an insect.
  • A pointed portion of an insect or arachnid used for attack.
  • A sharp, localised pain primarily on the epidermis
  • (botany) A sharp-pointed hollow hair seated on a gland which secretes an acrid fluid, as in nettles.
  • The thrust of a sting into the flesh; the act of stinging; a wound inflicted by stinging.
  • * Shakespeare
    • the lurking serpent's mortal sting
  • (law enforcement) A police operation in which the police pretend to be criminals in order to catch a criminal.
  • A short percussive phrase played by a drummer to accent the punchline in a comedy show.
  • A brief sequence of music used in films, TV as a form of punctuation in a dramatic or comedic scene. In certain videogames stings are used to predict immediate future actions or to illustrate a current tension or mood.
  • A support for a wind tunnel model which extends parallel to the air flow.
  • *
  • (figurative) The harmful or painful part of something.
  • * Bible, 1 Corinthians xv. 56
    • The sting of death is sin.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=January 19 , author=Jonathan Stevenson , title=Leeds 1 - 3 Arsenal , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=Just as it appeared Arsenal had taken the sting out of the tie, Johnson produced a moment of outrageous quality, thundering a bullet of a left foot shot out of the blue and into the top left-hand corner of Wojciech Szczesny's net with the Pole grasping at thin air. }}
  • A goad; incitement.
    • (Shakespeare)
  • The point of an epigram or other sarcastic saying.
    • Synonyms
    * (pointed portion of an insect) stinger

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) stingen, from (etyl) . Compare Swedish and Icelandic stinga.

    Verb

  • To hurt, usually by introducing poison or a sharp point, or both.
    • Right so came out an adder of a little heathbush, and it stung a knight in the foot.
    Still, it stung when a slightly older acquaintance asked me why I couldn't do any better.
  • (of an insect) To bite.
  • (sometimes figurative) To hurt, to be in pain.
    • My hand stings after knocking on the door so long.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=January 11 , author=Jonathan Stevenson , title=West Ham 2 - 1 Birmingham , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=But Birmingham were clearly stung by some harsh words from manager Alex McLeish at the break and within 15 minutes of the restart the game had an entirely different complexion.}}
  • (figurative) To cause harm or pain to.
    • I thought I could park in front of the hotel, but they stung me for five pounds!
    Derived terms
    * sting like a bee * stingy

    Anagrams

    * English irregular verbs ----