earworm
noun
\
Definition of earworm
1 : corn earworm
2 : a song or melody that keeps repeating in one's mind
Examples of earworm in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The commercials ran for years and made the tune, as sung by Mrs. VerPlanck, an American earworm. — Emily Langer, Washington Post, "Marlene VerPlanck, commercial ‘jingle queen’ and singer of Great American Songbook, dies at 84," 19 Jan. 2018 Her latest songwriting collaborators — including Max Martin and Shellback — have proven track records for commercial success and creating earworm-worthy pop anthems, but not for innovation or risk-taking. — George Varga, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Pink, 17 years into her solo career, bringing her 'Beautiful Trauma' and soaring show to San Diego," 22 May 2018 His lyricism and catchy hooks not only gave a movie its distinct signature but also could turn a film-going memory into an earworm. — Tim Greiving, latimes.com, "How much gold can lie in 45 Oscar losses? In the case of John Williams, the answer is: Tons," 2 Mar. 2018 His 94 years of life were packed with a Forrest Gump-esque career that brought him in contact with several historical icons and eventually launched him into writing educational earworms for ABC in between experimental jazz records. — The Washington Post, AL.com, "Bob Dorough of 'Schoolhouse Rock!' fame dead at 94," 24 Apr. 2018 With close to half of the tour wrapped up, Faiyaz plans to lock back in the studio and unleash more earworms for his eager devotees. — Carl Lamarre, Billboard, "Brent Faiyaz on the Success of 'Sonder Son,' His Love for Lauryn Hill & Why He Plans to Stay Independent 'Forever'," 9 Feb. 2018 Prior to Bieber’s involvement, the incontrovertible earworm would likely have seen little traction among most listeners in the States. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "2017 in Pop: Revenge of the Strummer Boy," 13 Dec. 2017 Syngenta invested over $100 million and 15 years in developing Viptera, which has a trait called MIR162 that protects against pests such as earworms, cutworms, armyworms and corn borers. — Jim Suhr, The Seattle Times, "1st farmer lawsuit on deck against Syngenta over China trade," 4 June 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'earworm.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More about earworm
From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
The Wriggly History of 'Earworm'
The Wriggly History of 'Earworm'
I just can't get you out of my head
Statistics for earworm
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for earworm
The first known use of earworm was in 1802
Comments on earworm
What made you want to look up earworm? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Autumn Words of the Day 2018
-
- Which is a synonym of fugacious?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share earworm
Resources for earworm