What does "swarm" mean?
A large number of insects, especially when in motion or (for bees) migrating to a new colony.
Swarm
/swɔɹm/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A large number of insects, especially when in motion or (for bees) migrating to a new colony.
- Grammar: swarm is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: cloud, horde, a mass of, a world of.
- Useful contrasts: defend, disperse, dwindle.
- Usage evidence: A swarm of mosquitoes followed him.
How to use "swarm"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "swarm" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "swarm" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "swarm" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "swarm" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "swarm" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "cloud" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "swarm", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A large number of insects, especially when in motion or (for bees) migrating to a new colony.
"[…] reſtleſs thoughts, that like a deadly ſwarm / Of Hornets arm'd […] ruſh upon me thronging,"
- 2 a group of many things in the air or on the ground wordnet
- 3 A mass of people, animals or things in motion or turmoil.
"a swarm of meteorites"
- 4 a moving crowd wordnet
- 5 A group of nodes sharing the same torrent in a BitTorrent network.
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A number of small earthquakes (or other seismic events) occurring, with no clear cause, in a specific area within a relatively short space of time.
"Earthquakes were another concern, particularly after swarms were felt in Oklahoma."
Verb
- 1 To move as a swarm. intransitive
"There is an hour or two, after the passengers have embarked, which is disquieting and fussy. Mail bags, so I understand, are being put on board. Stewards, carrying cabin trunks, swarm in the corridors."
- 2 move in large numbers wordnet
- 3 To teem, or be overrun with insects, people, etc. intransitive
"Every place swarming with soldiers."
- 4 be teeming, be abuzz wordnet
- 5 To fill a place as a swarm. transitive
"All is well until Treorchy, where the platform is swamped by teenagers who have been attending an event. Around four dozen unescorted 12 to 16 year-olds swarm aboard and begin to run riot through the train. Their behaviour is appalling and the presence of CCTV no deterrent."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 To overwhelm as by an opposing army. transitive
"So, yeah. The overall conclusion of the big gunfight being that, if Yamato is able to tackle the Colorados early, then the Japanese probably have a, maybe a sixty-to-sixty-five-percent chance of pulling this off... although you say "pulling it off", it's more a case of "the Japanese are the last battleship standing"; they tend to then just get swarmed by angry Fletchers[…]"
- 7 To climb by gripping with arms and legs alternately.
"At the top was placed a piece of money, as a prize for those who could swarm up and seize it."
- 8 To breed multitudes.
"Not ſo thick ſwarm'd once the Soil / Bedropt with blood of Gorgon,"
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"A swarm of mosquitoes followed him."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "swarm"?
Common synonyms include: cloud, horde, a mass of, a world of, abound, abound.
How do you use "swarm" in a sentence?
A swarm of mosquitoes followed him.
How do you pronounce "swarm"?
Pronounced /swɔɹm/.
Etymology
From Middle English swarm, from Old English swearm (“swarm, multitude”), from Proto-West Germanic *swarm, from Proto-Germanic *swarmaz (“swarm, dizziness”), from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“to buzz, hum”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Swoorm (“swarm”), Dutch zwerm, German Schwarm, Danish sværm, Swedish svärm, Icelandic svarmur (“tumult, swarm”), Latin susurrus (“whispering, humming”), Lithuanian surma (“a pipe”), Russian свире́ль (svirélʹ, “a pipe, reed”). The verb is from Middle English swarmen, swermen, from Old English swirman (“to swarm”), from Proto-West Germanic *swarmijan, from Proto-Germanic *swarmijaną (“to swarm”), from the noun. Cognate with Scots swairm, swerm (“to swarm”), Dutch zwermen, German schwärmen, Danish sværme, Swedish svärma.