ear worm

Meaning

An 'ear worm' refers to a catchy song or tune that runs continually through a person's mind. It is a lighthearted, informal term used when you cannot stop humming or thinking about a specific piece of music. You typically use it in casual conversations with friends when discussing music or annoying habits.

Examples

• That new pop song is a total ear worm; I've been humming it all morning.

  That new pop song is a total ear worm; I've been humming it all morning.

• I woke up with an annoying ear worm, and now I can't concentrate on my work.

  I woke up with an annoying ear worm, and now I can't concentrate on my work.

• Do you ever get an ear worm that you haven't actually heard in years?

  Do you ever get an ear worm that you haven't actually heard in years?

• The commercial's jingle was designed to be an ear worm so people would remember the brand.

  The commercial's jingle was designed to be an ear worm so people would remember the brand.

• I need to listen to a different song to get this terrible ear worm out of my head.

  I need to listen to a different song to get this terrible ear worm out of my head.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I went to the doctor because I had an ear worm.

  ✓ I have an ear worm stuck in my head today because of that catchy song.

  An 'ear worm' is a psychological phenomenon of a song stuck in your head, not a physical insect. If an actual insect is in your ear, you should say 'a bug in my ear' instead.

• ✗ That song made me an ear worm.

  ✓ That song gave me an ear worm.

  You do not 'make' an ear worm. A song 'gives' you an ear worm, or you 'have' or 'get' an ear worm.

Related Expressions

Practice

• That commercial has a terrible jingle; it is such an ___.

  💡 Think of a catchy song that gets stuck in your head.

  Show answer

  ear worm

• I've had this annoying ___ since yesterday, and I can't stop singing it.

  💡 A song playing on repeat in your mind.

  Show answer

  ear worm