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

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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 With the right rifle, a 25 Creedmoor shooter has the ultimate combo rig for deer, varmints, and long-range target shooting. — John B. Snow, Outdoor Life, 24 Sep. 2026 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
  • Staff often greet regulars – and their dogs – by name with a warm question about their day.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Cadaver dogs also alerted to the scent of a corpse in the vehicle.
    — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of dogs
Noun
  • But there is also no mistaking the distinct black-and-white fur and bushy tails of skunks.
    — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Officials say the last animal confirmed to have rabies that wasn’t a bat was a skunk infected with the bat strain of rabies in Long Beach in 2014.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of skunks
Noun
  • This book includes nothing from Elain’s perspective; hopefully, the next book will prioritize her and possibly offer some magical explanation for why the rest of the Night Court has been such jerks to one another in this novel.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Lee and his Burning co-writer Oh Jung-mi resist what might have been the first instinct of many filmmakers by refusing to make Ye-ji and Sang-woo overly patronizing rich jerks.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of jerks
Noun
  • Gacy painted over a thousand pictures, many of clowns, while on death row in the 1980s and 1990s.
    — Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The weekend kicks off in earnest with the annual zombie walk, which this year also features clowns.
    — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of clowns
Noun
  • These fruit bats are legally considered vermin in Madagascar, and are often associated with eating commercially important fruits.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Funky smells and active vermin were among the reasons seven Miami-Dade and Broward restaurants found themselves on this week’s Sick and Shut Down List of restaurants failing state inspection.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of vermin
Noun
  • In most versions of the Greek mythology, Medusa is a beautiful woman that was cursed by the goddess Athena with a head of snakes instead of hair and the horrible ability to turn people to stone with just one look.
    — Lynsey Eidell, Glamour, 26 Oct. 2026
  • In one experiment, for example, college students were shown trypophobic images, typical fear-inducing pictures—such as those of snakes and spiders—and control images.
    — Gabriela Galvin, Scientific American, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of snakes
Noun
  • First, ensure trash bins are tightly sealed and stored a few feet away from your home, since open waste easily attracts mice or rats.
    — Emily Benda Gaylord, The Spruce, 1 Nov. 2026
  • In Africa, giant pouched rats are employed to sniff out tuberculosis.
    — Marta Zaraaska, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of rats

Browse Nearby Words

varmint
varmints
varnish
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Cite this Entry

“Varmints.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/varmints. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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