51³Ô¹Ï

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earworm

1

[ eer-wurm ]

noun

  1. a tune or part of a song that repeats in one’s mind.


verb (used with object)

  1. to work (itself or its way) into a person’s mind:

    The Pepsi jingles have earwormed their way into my head.

earworm

2

[ eer-wurm ]

earworm

/ ˈɪəˌ·Éɜ˳¾ /

noun

  1. informal.
    an irritatingly catchy tune
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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51³Ô¹Ï History and Origins

Origin of earworm1

First recorded in 1980–85; loan translation of German Ohrwurm “catchy tune, earwigâ€

Origin of earworm2

First recorded in 1880–85; ear 2( def ) + worm ( def ) (in the sense “small creeping animalâ€)
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51³Ô¹Ï History and Origins

Origin of earworm1

C20: from German Ohrwurm earwig
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Example Sentences

Nonetheless, he created earworms like the horn-powered “hello!†and the hypnotic “forever&more,†which individually have around 50 million Spotify streams.

From

As people across the globe participate in various dance trends and create memes, the duo successfully crafted one of the catchiest and most danceable earworms of the year.

From

The earworms in the soundtrack "cluster neatly around entwined themes: spreading your wings versus the tug of homesickness; finding your path but daring also to lose it", he wrote.

From

But this seemingly simple request is steeped in cultural tradition, notable in narrative context and, given its catchy hook, likely to become Disney’s next inescapable earworm.

From

Granted, “Out of Time’s†earworm “Shiny Happy People†is gratingly banal, but the album also features spoken-word passages, brooding bass lines and ghostly steel-guitar drone.

From

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