noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈvɜːmɪn/
Received-Pronunciation:[ˈvɜːmɪn]
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈvɝmɪn/
General-American:[ˈvɝmɪn]
rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)mɪn
CMU ARPABET:V ER1 M IH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Any of various common types of small insects or other animals which cause harm and annoyance.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: plural, singular
Examples
The area was crawling with all sorts of vermin: fleas, lice, mice, and rats to name a few. Thus, we felt as if vermin were crawling over us.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
An animal that preys on game, such as a fox or a weasel.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: plural, singular
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
An obnoxious or mean and offensive person.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: plural, singular
Examples
Bring these vermin to the Palace of Justice.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
any of various small animals or insects that are pests; e.g. cockroaches or rats
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
cereals must be protected from mice and other vermin
he examined the child's head for vermin
boys in the village have probably been shooting vermin
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: pest
5
noun
Meaning 5
an irritating or obnoxious person
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: varmint
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: bad person
History
Etymology
From Middle English vermyn, vermyne, from Old French vermine, from Vulgar Latin *verminum (“vermin”), collective noun formed from Latin vermis (“worm”). Compare vermiculate and vermivorous. See also worm.
Across languages
Translations
81 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
خَشَاش
(ḵašāš)
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Arabic:
هَامَّة
(hāmma)
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Bashkir:
ҡоротҡос
(qorotqos)
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Bulgarian:
вреди́тел
(vredítel)
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Bulgarian:
гадина
(gadina)
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Catalan:
menjança
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Chinese Mandarin:
害蟲 /害虫
(hàichóng)
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Chinese Mandarin:
寄生蟲 /寄生虫
(jìshēngchóng)
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Czech:
havěť
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Czech:
škodná
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Danish:
skadedyr
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Dutch:
ongedierte
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Esperanto:
fiinsekto
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Esperanto:
bestetaĉoj
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Finnish:
tuhoeläin
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Finnish:
tuholainen
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Finnish:
syöpäläinen
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
French:
vermine
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Galician:
alimaria
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Galician:
liscace
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Georgian:
მავნებელი
(mavnebeli)
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Georgian:
პარაზიტი
(ṗaraziṭi)
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
German:
Ungeziefer
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
German:
Schädlinge
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
German:
Gewürm
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Hebrew:
שֶׁרֶץ
(shéretz)
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Hungarian:
kártevő
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Hungarian:
élősdi
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Hungarian:
féreg
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Irish:
míolra
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Italian:
parassita
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Japanese:
害虫
(gaichū)
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Japanese:
害獣
(gaijū)
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Kazakh:
зиянкес
(ziänkes)
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Korean:
해충
(haechung)
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Latin:
blatta
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Macedonian:
штеточина
(štetočina)
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Middle English:
vermyn
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Persian:
حشره موذی
(hašare-ye muzi)
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Persian:
جک و جانور
(jak-o-jânevar)
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Polish:
robactwo
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Portuguese:
vermina
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Russian:
вреди́тель
(vredítelʹ)
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Russian:
парази́т
(parazít)
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Russian:
гад
(gad)
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Slovak:
háveď
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Spanish:
alimaña
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Spanish:
sabandija
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Spanish:
alimania
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Swedish:
skadedjur
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Swedish:
ohyra
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Vilamovian:
wiym
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Volapük:
minimil
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Volapük:
minimilem
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Volapük:
dämabanim
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Volapük:
dämabanäsäk
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Welsh:
pryf
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Welsh:
pryfed
— Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
Bulgarian:
гад
(gad)
— An obnoxious, or mean and offensive person
Catalan:
gentola
— An obnoxious, or mean and offensive person
Chinese Mandarin:
歹徒
(dǎitú)
— An obnoxious, or mean and offensive person
Czech:
verbež
— An obnoxious, or mean and offensive person
Czech:
chamraď
— An obnoxious, or mean and offensive person
Czech:
pakáž
— An obnoxious, or mean and offensive person
Czech:
neřád
— An obnoxious, or mean and offensive person
Finnish:
kiusankappale
— An obnoxious, or mean and offensive person
Finnish:
nilkki
— An obnoxious, or mean and offensive person
French:
vermine
— An obnoxious, or mean and offensive person
German:
Gesindel
— An obnoxious, or mean and offensive person
German:
Pack
— An obnoxious, or mean and offensive person
Persian:
اراذل
(arâzel)
— An obnoxious, or mean and offensive person
Polish:
szkodnik
— An obnoxious, or mean and offensive person
Portuguese:
verme
— An obnoxious, or mean and offensive person
Russian:
гад
(gad)
— An obnoxious, or mean and offensive person
Russian:
подо́нок
(podónok)
— An obnoxious, or mean and offensive person
Russian:
гни́да
(gnída)
— An obnoxious, or mean and offensive person
Slovak:
čvarga
— An obnoxious, or mean and offensive person
Spanish:
gentuza
— An obnoxious, or mean and offensive person
Spanish:
sabandija
— An obnoxious, or mean and offensive person
Spanish:
alimaña
— An obnoxious, or mean and offensive person
Spanish:
alimania
— An obnoxious, or mean and offensive person