plural hornets
: any of the larger vespid wasps (genus Vespa) that usually build large papery nests in shrubs and trees see also european hornet, northern giant hornet, yellow-legged hornet compare bald-faced hornet
Examples of hornet in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The score begins to hum like angry hornets.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2025
This is – in short – a hornet’s nest.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 17 Nov. 2025
Seattle has a few blue-chip players who set the tone weekly, but facing this unit is like walking into a hornet’s nest and being swarmed from every direction.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Giant Asian hornets, the largest hornets in the world, reach up to two inches long and prey on bees and other insects.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hornet
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2025
This is – in short – a hornet’s nest.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 17 Nov. 2025
Seattle has a few blue-chip players who set the tone weekly, but facing this unit is like walking into a hornet’s nest and being swarmed from every direction.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Giant Asian hornets, the largest hornets in the world, reach up to two inches long and prey on bees and other insects.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hornet
Cite this Entry
“Hornet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hornet. Accessed 27 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hornet
noun
hor·net
ˈhȯr-nət 
: any of the larger wasps that live in colonies
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share