There is a woodworm in the wood.
Source: tatoeba (8979529)
Woodworm
Synonyms for "woodworm" (8 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (2)
Noun(2 words)
furniture beetle larvagallery damage
Strong matches (2)
Noun(2 words)
powderpost beetle larvatimber infestation
Related words (4)
Noun(3 words)
timberworm larvawoodborer larvawoodworm damage
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: furniture beetle larva, gallery damage, powderpost beetle larva, timber infestation, timberworm larva.
- Sentence evidence is available for woodworm, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from opengloss, derived_reverse.
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 "woodworm".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "woodworm"
Keep "woodworm" 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 "woodworm" 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 "woodworm", 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 "woodworm" 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
6 entriesexit holesfrass productionfurniture beetle larvagallery tunnelshouse borer larvapowderpost beetle larva
Collocations
6 entriesfurniture beetle larvagallery tunnelspowderpost beetle larvawoodborer larvawoodworm damagewoodworm infestation
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
2 entriesTranslations
36 translations across 23 languages.
Ancient Greek
2 entries- θρῑ́ψ noun (larvae that bore into wood)
- ἴ̄ψ noun (larvae that bore into wood)
Bulgarian
1 entries- дървояд noun (larvae that bore into wood)
Chinese Mandarin
2 entries- 木蛀蟲 /木蛀虫 noun (larvae that bore into wood)
- 蛀蟲 /蛀虫 noun (larvae that bore into wood)
Classical Nahuatl
1 entries- cuauhocuilin noun (larvae that bore into wood)
Cornish
1 entries- pryv prenn noun (larvae that bore into wood)
Czech
1 entries- červotoč noun (larvae that bore into wood)
Dutch
1 entries- houtworm noun (larvae that bore into wood)
Finnish
1 entries- jumi noun (larvae that bore into wood)
Galician
4 entries- broca noun (larvae that bore into wood)
- caruncho noun (larvae that bore into wood)
- corta noun (larvae that bore into wood)
- couza noun (larvae that bore into wood)
German
1 entries- Holzwurm noun (larvae that bore into wood)
Hungarian
1 entries- szú noun (larvae that bore into wood)
Italian
1 entries- tarlo noun (larvae that bore into wood)
Latin
2 entries- tarmes noun (larvae that bore into wood)
- terēdō noun (larvae that bore into wood)
Northern Mansi
1 entries- сӯр noun (larvae that bore into wood)
Old Czech
2 entries- dřěvotoč noun (larvae that bore into wood)
- črvotoč noun (larvae that bore into wood)
Ottoman Turkish
1 entries- آغاج قوردی noun (larvae that bore into wood)
Polish
1 entries- kornik noun (larvae that bore into wood)
Russian
1 entries- точи́льщик noun (larvae that bore into wood)
Sicilian
2 entries- cagnolu noun (larvae that bore into wood)
- càmula noun (larvae that bore into wood)
Spanish
3 entries- carcoma noun (larvae that bore into wood)
- polilla noun (larvae that bore into wood)
- quera noun (larvae that bore into wood)
Turkish
1 entries- ağaç kurdu noun (larvae that bore into wood)
Welsh
1 entries- pryf pren noun (larvae that bore into wood)
Yakut
1 entries- мас үөнэ noun (larvae that bore into wood)
Sample sentences
5 total sentences available.
1599, Simon Harward, “A Displaying of the wilfull deuises of wicked and vaine worldlings” in Three Sermons, London: Richard Johns, […] Chrisostome doth compaire enuie to the wood worm which though it doe breede in the tymber, yet it doth consume & waste the tymber, as enuie springing of the heart doth putrifie and vtterly eat vp the heart.
Source: wiktionary
1872, Robert Louis Stevenson, letter to Mrs. Thomas Stevenson dated July 29, 1872, in Sidney Colvin (editor), The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson, New York: Scribner, 1917, Volume I, p. 45, There was only one contretemps during the whole interview—the arrival of another visitor, in the shape (surely) the last of God’s creatures, a wood-worm of the most unnatural and hideous appearance, with one great striped horn stucking out of his nose like a boltsprit. If there are many wood-worms in Germany, I shall come home.
Source: wiktionary
New Alresford is constantly mispronounced, T-shaped, honeycombed with cellars, packed with antique shops, riddled with woodworm, surrounded by watercress. The name - which means 'ford by the alders' - is pronounced 'Allsford'; and no one ever uses 'New', though they do call the adjoining village Old Alresford.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 5 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "woodworm"?
Closest matches include furniture beetle larva, gallery damage, powderpost beetle larva, timber infestation, timberworm larva.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "woodworm"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.