plural vermin
1
a
: small common harmful or objectionable animals (such as lice or fleas) that are difficult to control
b
: birds and mammals that prey on game
c
: animals that at a particular time and place compete (as for food) with humans or domestic animals
2
: an offensive person
Synonyms
- bastard
- beast
- bleeder [British]
- blighter [chiefly British]
- boor
- bounder
- bugger
- buzzard
- cad
- chuff
- churl
- clown
- creep
- cretin
- crud [slang]
- crumb [slang]
- cur
- dirtbag [slang]
- dog
- fink
- heel
- hound
- jerk
- joker
- louse
- lout
- pill
- rat
- rat fink
- reptile
- rotter
- schmuck [slang]
- scum
- scumbag [slang]
- scuzzball [slang]
- skunk
- sleaze
- sleazebag [slang]
- sleazeball [slang]
- slime
- slimeball [slang]
- slob
- snake
- so-and-so
- sod [chiefly British]
- stinkard
- stinker
- swine
- toad
- varmint
Examples of vermin in a Sentence
The room was crawling with roaches and other vermin.
the vermin who looted abandoned houses after the hurricane
Recent Examples on the Web
Over the last 400 years, around 500 of those copies have perished: Lost, devoured by insects or vermin, dismembered by time, or burned.
—
Andrea Mays, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 May 2024
This could include, but is not limited to, major vermin contamination.
—Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 10 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for vermin 
Andrea Mays, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 May 2024
This could include, but is not limited to, major vermin contamination.
—Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 10 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for vermin
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vermin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near vermin
Cite this Entry
“Vermin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vermin. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
vermin
noun
ver·min
ˈvər-mən 
plural vermin
: small common harmful or objectionable animals (as fleas or mice) that are difficult to get rid of
Etymology
Middle English vermin "small animal pests," from early French vermin (same meaning), derived from Latin vermis "worm" — related to vermicelli
Word Origin
The word vermin is used for any small harmful or annoying insect or animal that is difficult to get rid of or control. Fleas, lice, mice, rats, and even rabbits when they destroy gardens have been called vermin. However, the word vermin comes from a Latin word for a creature that is not usually thought of as troublesome. The word is vermis, meaning "worm." The word vermicelli, which English borrowed from Italian, can also be traced back to the Latin vermis. The Italians used this word for "thin spaghetti" because the strands look like "little worms," which is what vermicelli means literally.
Medical Definition
vermin
noun
ver·min
ˈvər-mən
plural vermin
: small common harmful or objectionable animals (as lice or fleas) that are difficult to control
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