earworm

[ eer-wurm ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

to work (itself or its way) into a person’s mind:
The Pepsi jingles have earwormed their way into my head.

earworm

[ eer-wurm ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

earworm

/ ˈɪəˌwɜːm /

Origin of earworm¹

First recorded in 1980–85; loan translation of German Ohrwurm “catchy tune, earwig”

Origin of earworm²

First recorded in 1880–85; ear ²( def ) + worm ( def ) (in the sense “small creeping animal”)

Origin of earworm¹

C20: from German Ohrwurm earwig

From Lorde to Daft Punk, DJ Earworm seamlessly edited a mashup of the 25 biggest hits of 2013.

“Cups” has had the unlikeliest of journeys to summer earworm.

But in the 1990s, the English word "earworm" gained the meaning "a song or melody that keeps repeating in one's mind."

The newer sense of "earworm" is actually influenced by the German word for this phenomenon—a word that translates to "earworm."

"Earworm" has been around for quite some time to refer to a pest that burrows into the ears of corn.

April 19, 2024tortuous

[tawr-choo-uhs ]

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