vermin

IPA/ˈvɜːmɪn/
KK[vˈɚmɪn]IPA/ˈvɜːrmɪn/

vermin — noun

1. Small wild animals, birds, or insects that damage crops, stored food, buildings,

1.名詞B2
釋義

Small wild animals, birds, or insects that damage crops, stored food, buildings, or other property, or spread disease, and that are extremely hard to eliminate when a large group arrives in a place.

例句

The old basement was crawling with vermin like rats and cockroaches.

vermin like [examples of pest species]

Farmers use traps to control vermin that damage their crops.

control vermin — common verb collocation

同義詞
  • pests

    Broader term — includes insects and animals that bother people; not limited to those that cause serious damage.

  • rodents

    Narrower — only rats, mice, and similar gnawing mammals, not insects or birds.

  • varmints

    Informal, chiefly American English; often used humorously or in rural contexts.

文法句型

vermin + plural verb

control / exterminate / attract vermin

用法筆記

Treated as an uncountable plural noun: 'vermin are...' rather than 'vermin is...' in standard usage. To refer to a single creature, name the species (e.g., 'a rat', 'a cockroach') rather than using 'a vermin'.

常見錯誤

❌A vermin crawled across the kitchen floor.
✅A rat crawled across the kitchen floor.
💡Vermin is uncountable; use the specific animal name for a single individual.
❌This vermin is very dangerous.
✅These vermin are very dangerous.
💡Vermin takes a plural verb even though it has no singular form.

2. An insulting and dehumanising label applied to individuals regarded as dishonest

2.名詞C1
釋義

An insulting and dehumanising label applied to individuals regarded as dishonest, cruel, or dangerous to the community. Strongly offensive and not appropriate in respectful or neutral speech.

例句

The newspaper referred to the gang members as vermin who terrorised the neighbourhood.

refer to [someone] as vermin — typical grammar pattern

Aylin heard her boss refer to the unhoused residents as vermin and walked out of the meeting in disgust.

refer to [group] as vermin — offensive real-world usage

同義詞
  • scum

    Similarly offensive; strongly condemns a person's character or actions.

  • lowlifes

    Informal and insulting, but less violent in connotation than vermin.

文法句型

refer to [someone] as vermin

call [someone] vermin

用法筆記

This sense is a slur. It reduces people to the status of pests and has been historically used in propaganda to justify persecution. Avoid using this sense even informally. Distinguish from sense 1 (HARMFUL PESTS), which refers to actual animals and is neutral in register.

常見錯誤

❌Some people in that neighbourhood are vermin.
✅Avoid this sense entirely. Use 'harmful individuals' or 'dangerous criminals' instead.
💡Calling people vermin is dehumanising and deeply offensive, regardless of your intention.