In the end, you see, sorrow is like a tapeworm: what you have to do is to get it out of your body.
Source: tatoeba (6133887)
Tapeworm
/ˈteɪpˌwɝm/
Synonyms for "tapeworm" (39 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (8)
Strong matches (12)
earthwormechiuroideaectoproctaemptinessempty stomachentoproctafishwormhelminthhollow hungerhungerhungrinessinchworm
Related words (19)
Noun(4 words)
measuring wormmonoplacophoranemertineanight crawlernightwalkerphoronideapolydipsiarelishstomachsweet toothtastethirstthirstinesstorment of tantalusworm
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: cestode, angleworm, appetite, canine appetite, chilopoda.
- Sentence evidence is available for tapeworm, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, opengloss, moby, and related lexical sources.
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 "tapeworm".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "tapeworm"
Keep "tapeworm" 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 "tapeworm" 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 "tapeworm", 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 "tapeworm" 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
5 entriesMore specific
4 entriesCollocations
6 entriesbeef tapewormfish tapewormhuman tapewormintestinal tapewormpork tapewormtapeworm infection
Inflections
1 entriesTranslations
67 translations across 46 languages.
Ancient Greek
1 entries- ἀσκαρίς noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Breton
1 entries- lenkernenn-vras noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Bulgarian
1 entries- тения noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Catalan
1 entries- tènia noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 絛蟲 /绦虫 noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Czech
1 entries- tasemnice noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Danish
1 entries- bendelorm noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Dutch
1 entries- lintworm noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Finnish
1 entries- heisimato noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
French
1 entries- ver solitaire noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Galician
1 entries- tenia noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
German
1 entries- Bandwurm noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Greek
1 entries- ταινία noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Hebrew
1 entries- שרשור noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Hungarian
3 entries- bélféreg noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
- galandféreg noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
- giliszta noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Icelandic
1 entries- bandormur noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Ingush
1 entries- богуз noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Irish
2 entries- cailleach ghoile noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
- péist ribíneach noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Italian
3 entries- cenuro noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
- tenia noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
- verme solitario noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Japanese
2 entries- サナダムシ noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
- 真田虫 noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Korean
2 entries- 도충 noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
- 촌충 noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Latin
1 entries- taenia noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Latvian
1 entries- lentenis noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Norman
1 entries- vèr solitaithe noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- bendelorm noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Norwegian Nynorsk
3 entries- bendelmakk noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
- bendelmark noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
- bendelorm noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Old Armenian
1 entries- որդն միայնուկ noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Ottoman Turkish
1 entries- اوبور noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Plautdietsch
1 entries- Bauntworm noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Polish
1 entries- tasiemiec noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Portuguese
3 entries- bicha-solitária noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
- ténia noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
- tênia noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Quechua
2 entries- kinwara noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
- unkaka noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Russian
1 entries- ле́нточный червь noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Scottish Gaelic
1 entries- bèist-dà-leann noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Serbo-Croatian
3 entries- pantljičara noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
- trakavica noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
- trakulja noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Slovene
1 entries- trakulja noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Spanish
4 entries- cestodo noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
- céstodo noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
- lombriz solitaria noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
- tenia noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Swedish
2 entries- bandmask noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
- binnikemask noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Tagalog
2 entries- tenya noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
- ulyabid noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Tamil
1 entries- நாடாப்புழு noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Telugu
1 entries- బద్దెపురుగు noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Turkish
3 entries- abdestbozan noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
- tenya noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
- şerit noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Ukrainian
1 entries- стьожко́вий черв noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Vietnamese
1 entries- sán noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Waigali
1 entries- tëćiv noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Welsh
1 entries- llyngyren ruban noun (parasitical worm of the class Cestoda)
Sample sentences
4 total sentences available.
When Luis Ortiz, 26, of Napa, California, arrived at the hospital complaining of a headache and nausea, doctors were shocked to find a tapeworm larva had been living in his brain.
Source: tatoeba (11518193)
A tapeworm can live in your intestines for years.
Source: tatoeba (12715717)
We used to have a lot of tapeworm down in my neck of the woods, but we don't have much now.
Source: wiktionary
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "tapeworm"?
Closest matches include cestode, angleworm, appetite, canine appetite, chilopoda.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "tapeworm"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.