Meaning & use
earworms
Last updated
“earworms” is a form of “earworm”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounpluralinformal
Catchy tunes or phrases that keep replaying in your mind, often without your wanting them to.
Grammar: Plural of earworm: one earworm, many earworms.
Patterns
- get an earworm
- stuck with an earworm
Pop choruses are famous earworms, and I hummed one all day.
The jingle was one of those earworms that I could not shake.
Scientists study why certain earworms spread so easily.
Word forms
| singular | earworm |
|---|
Common combinations
- catchy earworms
- The band writes catchy earworms that stick for days.
- get rid of an earworm
- Chewing gum may help you get rid of an earworm.
- cure earworms
- Listening to the whole song can cure earworms.
- an annoying earworm
- That ad jingle is an annoying earworm.
Synonyms and how they differ
- jingle
- A jingle is a short advertising tune, while an earworm can be any song stuck in your head.
- hook
- A hook is the catchy part of a song as written by the songwriter, while an earworm describes the effect on the listener.
- catchy tune
- Catchy tune describes a song's quality, whereas an earworm implies it keeps playing without your control.
Word family
Commonly confused: earworms or earwig?
earworms vs earwig
An earwig is an insect and has nothing to do with songs stuck in your head.
Practice
I can't stop humming that song; it is such an annoying ___.
Choose one answer.
An earworm is a tune stuck in the head; an earwig is an insect, an earache is pain, and earmuffs keep ears warm.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “earworms”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.