The life cycle of an amphibian consists of three stages: egg, larva and adult.
Source: tatoeba (1343438)
Larva
/ˈlɑː.və/
Synonyms for "larva" (104 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: anlage, apparition, appearance, arachnid, armyworm.
- Sentence evidence is available for larva, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, derived_reverse, opengloss.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "larva".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "larva"
Keep "larva" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "larva" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "larva", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "larva" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
10 entriesMore specific
3 entriesCollocations
5 entriesinsect larvalarval developmentlarval formlarval instarlarval stage
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
1 entriesTranslations
67 translations across 51 languages.
Armenian
1 entries- թրթուր noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Azerbaijani
1 entries- sürfə noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Bashkir
1 entries- ҡарышлауыҡ noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Belarusian
1 entries- лічы́нка noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Bulgarian
1 entries- личи́нка noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Catalan
1 entries- larva noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 幼蟲 /幼虫 noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Crimean Tatar
1 entries- qurtçıq noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Czech
1 entries- larva noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Dutch
1 entries- larve noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Estonian
4 entries- ebaröövik noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
- konu noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
- kulles noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
- maim noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Finnish
1 entries- toukka noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
French
1 entries- larve noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Galician
1 entries- larva noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
German
1 entries- Larve noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Greek
1 entries- προνύμφη noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Hebrew
1 entries- פגית noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Higaonon
1 entries- olod noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Icelandic
1 entries- lirfa noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Indonesian
1 entries- jentik noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Japanese
1 entries- 幼虫 noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Khmer
2 entries- ដង្កូវ noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
- ឌិម្ភា noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Korean
1 entries- 유충 noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Lao
2 entries- ດ້ວງ noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
- ຫນອນ noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Latin
1 entries- larva noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Latvian
1 entries- kāpurs noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Macedonian
1 entries- ларва noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Malayalam
1 entries- ലാർവ noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Mongolian
1 entries- авгалдай noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Māori
1 entries- torongū noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- larve noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Norwegian Nynorsk
1 entries- larve noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Persian
1 entries- لارو noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Polish
1 entries- larwa noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Portuguese
1 entries- larva noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Romanian
1 entries- larvă noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Russian
1 entries- личи́нка noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Serbo-Croatian
4 entries- lìčīnka noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
- lȃrva noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
- ла̑рва noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
- лѝчӣнка noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Slovak
1 entries- larva noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Slovene
1 entries- ličinka noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Spanish
1 entries- larva noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Swahili
2 entries- bombwe noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
- lava noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Swedish
1 entries- larv noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Tajik
2 entries- кирм noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
- кирмак noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Tatar
1 entries- корт noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Thai
1 entries- หนอน noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Turkish
1 entries- kurtçuk noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Turkmen
1 entries- gurçuk noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Ukrainian
1 entries- личи́нка noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Vietnamese
1 entries- ấu trùng noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Volapük
3 entries- hilarvat noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
- jilarvat noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
- larvat noun (an animal in such stage of growth — see also tadpole)
Sample sentences
24 total sentences available.
When a coral egg and sperm join together as an embryo, they develop into a coral larva, called a planula. Planulae float in the ocean, some for days and some for weeks, before dropping to the ocean floor. Then, depending on seafloor conditions, the planulae may attach to the substrate and grow into a new coral colony at the slow rate of about .4 inches a year.
Source: tatoeba (6684640)
Every butterfly has been a larva, but not all larvae will become butterflies.
Source: tatoeba (9229728)
Nemesio was rocking a beetle larva in half a nut shell when he noticed the smell of fire.
Source: tatoeba (10185195)
Showing 4 of 24 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "larva"?
Closest matches include anlage, apparition, appearance, arachnid, armyworm.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "larva"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.