varmints

noun

plural of varmint
as in bastards
a person whose behavior is offensive to others a seedy saloon that attracts the most low-down, dirty varmints in town

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of varmints Moreover, the official mascots succeed in spotting various varmints — foxes and possums, to be specific, but thankfully, no vultures. — Ed Silverman, STAT, 16 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for varmints
  1. dogs
  2. skunks
  3. jerks
  4. clowns
  5. vermin
  6. snakes
  7. rats
Noun
  • The Perk That Actually Works For years, companies have competed to fill their offices with amenities meant to signal ambition—ping pong tables, nap rooms, office dogs, sprawling lounges.
    — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The search continued at Coes Reservoir on Friday with marine units, helicopters, sonar and dogs, according to CNN affiliate WCVB.
    — Elise Hammond, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of dogs
Noun
  • Here’s what to do if skunks become a problem in your yard and how to get rid of them.
    — Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Rabies is spread by the bite or scratch of an infected animal, such as a groundhog, cat, fox, raccoon, skunk or bat.
    — Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of skunks
Noun
  • That screwed up the works / And not due to his sloppy hiring / Of a crew of incompetent jerks.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Something from this article might put me on some Ben Shapiro list, where a bunch of jerks literally will just call me ‘f****t’ or worse on my social media.
    — William Earl, Variety, 10 June 2026
Definition of jerks
Noun
  • Yusef Toubassi sits with his grandson Masa, looking on as children run by with cheeks painted bright colors and others howling with joy as clowns spin them around.
    — Dina Kraft, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Aug. 2026
  • One morning during my stay, there were even clowns buzzing about—a thrill to receive a balloon poodle alongside my morning flat white.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 July 2026
Definition of clowns
Noun
  • On Monday, the owner of the lot at 703 Greenwich Street, William Gottlieb Real Estate, countersued, alleging Urban Zen and the building housing Karan’s store are actually to blame for the vermin scourge.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Gaps underneath a sink and behind the bread warmer that could provide entry points and harbor vermin.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of vermin
Noun
  • Land targeted for conservation makes up a quilt of South Florida wilderness, from coastal wetland to tropical hammocks, inhabited by rare plants, butterflies, bats, snakes and other critters.
    — Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Researchers have identified thousands of snakes and lizards in this geological record, many of which became meals for local predators.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of snakes
Noun
  • Urban legend says that rats outnumber the city’s humans by as many as five to one, but a 2023 study put the number at more like three million, or about one for every three bipeds.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Once the rats settle in, the zoo will eventually begin showing them at the amphitheater, demonstrating their ability to find scents through maze walls.
    — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of rats

Browse Nearby Words

varmint
varmints
varnish
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Varmints.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/varmints. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of southpaw

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All