Meaning & use
piss ants
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“piss ants” is a form of “piss ant”.
Meanings
nounplural
Plural of piss ant: small ants, especially ones that give off a sharp smell when crushed.
Grammar: Plural countable noun, used mainly in American English.
Patterns
- piss ants in something
Piss ants had built a nest under the porch.
Farmers in the area complain about piss ants in the fields.
We found tiny piss ants crawling over the picnic table.
nounpluraloffensivedisapproving
Plural of piss ant: unimportant, annoying people who are looked down on.
Grammar: Plural countable noun; used as an insult.
The boss called the junior clerks piss ants, which upset them.
Calling coworkers piss ants is rude and unprofessional.
He grew angry when the critics were described as piss ants.
Word forms
| singular | piss ant |
|---|
Common combinations
- nest of piss ants
- We found a nest of piss ants by the fence.
- piss ant colony
- The piss ant colony spread across the lawn.
- swarm of piss ants
- A swarm of piss ants ruined the picnic.
- treat piss ants
- He used bait to treat the piss ants in the garden.
Synonyms and how they differ
- small ants
- Small ants is a neutral phrase, while piss ants is vulgar slang.
- pavement ants
- Pavement ants is a specific common species name, unlike the loose term piss ants.
- nobodies
- Nobodies replaces the insult sense with a milder word for unimportant people.
- pipsqueaks
- Pipsqueaks is a less vulgar insult for small or unimportant people.
Word family
Commonly confused: piss ants or fire ants?
piss ants vs fire ants
Fire ants are a particular stinging species, whereas piss ants is an informal label for various small ants.
Practice
Which use of 'piss ants' would be considered rude about people?
Choose one answer.
Using piss ants about staff is an insult meaning they are unimportant. The other sentences refer to insects.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “piss ants”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.