What does wormy mean?
Wormy is an adjective that can describe something infested with worms or eaten away by them, especially fruit, timber, or other organic material. In ordinary use, it often carries a practical implication: the food is spoiled, the wood is decayed, or the object is in such poor condition that it is no longer fit for use. The word can also be used figuratively and informally for something shabby, unpleasant, or contemptible, such as a poorly made product or an underrated work. In that sense, “wormy” is more mocking than neutral and often implies that the thing deserves little respect. Its vividness comes from an old metaphor: a worm-eaten object visibly rots from within. Although the literal meaning remains perfectly understandable, the figurative use gives the adjective a sharp, dismissive edge. That makes “wormy” useful for describing not merely dirt, but something whose quality has visibly declined.
adjectiveInfested with worms or eaten away by them, especially food or wood. Figuratively and informally, very bad, unpleasant, shabby, or contemptible.
- Infested with worms or damaged by worms.
- Figuratively, so poor, shabby, unpleasant, or contemptible as to deserve ridicule.
"The last few apples in the bottom crate were too wormy to sell."
"The last few apples in the bottom crate were too wormy to sell."
"The critics dismissed the film as wormy, a word that says more about their boredom than its quality."
Old English wyrm could mean not just a worm but a serpent or dragon, so “wormy” carries an unexpectedly ancient and monstrous ancestry.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does wormy come from?
Wormy was formed in Middle English by adding the suffix -y to worm, with the sense “full of worms.” Worm continues Old English wyrm, a word used for a worm, serpent, or dragon; German Wurm and Dutch worm are close cognates. The suffix -y gives the adjective its characteristic relation of being “full of” or “characterized by” something. More distant relatives include Latin vermis, the source of vermin and vermicular.
Related word forms
How wormy is actually used
The literal sense is standard in both British and American English. The figurative sense is informal and often contemptuous, particularly when used to dismiss a place, product, performance, or work of art.