sting in the tail

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word sting in the tail. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word sting in the tail, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say sting in the tail in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word sting in the tail you have here. The definition of the word sting in the tail will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofsting in the tail, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

English

Noun

sting in the tail (plural stings in the tail or stings in tails)

  1. Something surprising and unpleasant that concludes a chain of events.
    The Budget comes with a sting in the tail – future tax increases.
    • 2022 December 14, Philip Haigh, “Comment: Tightening the purse strings”, in RAIL, number 972, page 3:
      The sting in the tail is that an appropriate level of service could be far lower than we see today. With funding best described as tight, we look to be entering a painful period for rail.