Swarm — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈswȯrm/

Meaning & Definition of Swarm

Swarm (noun)

  1. a great number of honeybees emigrating together from a hive in company with a queen to start a new colony elsewhere
  2. a colony of honeybees settled in a hive
  3. a large number of animate or inanimate things massed together and usually in motion, throng

Swarm (verb)

  1. to form and depart from a hive in a swarm
  2. to move or assemble in a crowd, throng
  3. to hover about in the manner of a bee in a swarm
  4. to climb with the hands and feet; specifically, shin
  5. to climb up, mount

Swarm (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a great number of persons or creatures massed together

    "a swarm of tourists descends upon the island every summer"

    similar: army, bike (chiefly Scottish), cram, crowd, crush, drove, flock, herd, horde, host, legion, mass, mob, multitude, press, rout, scrum, throng
    related: masses, millions, rabble, rabblement, riffraff, gaggle, heap, mountain, pile, jam, logjam

Swarm (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to move upon or fill (something) in great numbers

    "meeting little resistance, the pirates swarmed the decks of the merchant ship"

    similar: crowd, flock, mob, throng
    related: beset, infest, invade, overrun, clog, dam, jam, obstruct, plug (up)

  2. to be copiously supplied

    "at this time of year that Mexican resort swarms with college students on spring break"

    similar: abound, brim, bristle, bulge, burst, bustle, buzz, crawl, hum, overflow, pullulate, teem
    near: lack, need, want

  3. to move (as up or over something) often with the help of the hands in holding or pulling

    "one of the physical challenges had competitors swarming over a pile of logs"

    similar: clamber, climb, scrabble, scramble
    related: shimmy, shin, shinny, skin, ascend, breast (chiefly British), free-climb, get up, mount, scale, summit, surmount, claw, sprawl, struggle

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Swarm

The most common words with a similar meaning to Swarm:

Chiefly Scottish: bike
army, cram, crowd, crush, drove, flock, herd, horde, host, legion, mass, mob, multitude, press, rout, scrum, throng, abound, brim, bristle, bulge, burst, bustle, buzz, crawl, hum, overflow, pullulate, teem, clamber, climb, scrabble, scramble

Related Words for Swarm

masses, millions, rabble, rabblement, riffraff, gaggle, heap, mountain, pile, jam, logjam, beset, infest, invade, overrun, clog, dam, obstruct, plug (up), shimmy, shin, shinny, skin, ascend, breast, free-climb, get up, mount, scale, summit

Near Antonyms of Swarm

lack, need, want

Word Forms of Swarm

Inflections: swarmed, swarming, swarms

Derived words: swarmer (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Swarm

Middle English, from Old English swearm; akin to Old High German swaram swarm and probably to Latin susurrus hum

First known use: before 12th century

Words & Phrases Containing Swarm

swarm spore

Frequently Asked Questions about Swarm

What does "Swarm" mean?

"Swarm" means a great number of honeybees emigrating together from a hive in company with a queen to start a new colony elsewhere. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a great number of honeybees emigrating together from a hive in company with a queen to start a new colony elsewhere. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Swarm"?

Other words for "Swarm" include army, bike, cram, crowd, crush, drove, flock and herd. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Swarm" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Swarm"?

There are 68 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Swarm". Common alternatives include army, bike, cram, crowd, crush, drove, flock, herd, horde and host.

How do you use "Swarm" in a sentence?

Examples of "Swarm" in a sentence: "a swarm of tourists descends upon the island every summer"; "meeting little resistance, the pirates swarmed the decks of the merchant ship"; "at this time of year that Mexican resort swarms with college students on spring break".

Is "Swarm" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Swarm" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Swarm"?

"Swarm" is pronounced /ˈswȯrm/.

What is the origin of the word "Swarm"?

"Swarm" comes from Middle English, from Old English swearm; akin to Old High German swaram swarm and probably to Latin susurrus hum. First known use: before 12th century.

What is another word for "Swarm" meaning "a great number of persons or creatures massed together"?

When "Swarm" (noun) means a great number of persons or creatures massed together, synonyms include army, bike, cram, crowd, crush and drove.