swarm
1 of 3noun
ˈswȯrm 
1
a
: a great number of honeybees emigrating together from a hive in company with a queen to start a new colony elsewhere
b
: a colony of honeybees settled in a hive
2
a
: a large number of animate or inanimate things massed together and usually in motion : throng
swarms of sightseers
a swarm of locusts
a swarm of meteors
b
: a number of similar geologic features or phenomena close together in space or time
a swarm of dikes
an earthquake swarm
swarm
2 of 3verb (1)
swarmed; swarming; swarms
intransitive verb
1
: to form and depart from a hive in a swarm
2
a
: to move or assemble in a crowd : throng
b
: to hover about in the manner of a bee in a swarm
3
: to contain a swarm : teem
swarming with bugs
transitive verb
1
: to fill with a swarm
2
: to beset or surround in a swarm
players swarming the quarterback
swarmer noun
swarm
3 of 3verb (2)
swarmed; swarming; swarms
intransitive verb
: to climb with the hands and feet
specifically : shin
swarm up a pole
transitive verb
: to climb up : mount
Synonyms
Noun
- army
- bike [chiefly Scottish]
- cram
- crowd
- crush
- drove
- flock
- herd
- horde
- host
- legion
- mass
- mob
- multitude
- press
- rout
- scrum
- throng
Verb (1)
- crowd
- flock
- mob
- throng
Verb (2)
- clamber
- climb
- scrabble
- scramble
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun a swarm of tourists descends upon the island every summer
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Old English swearm; akin to Old High German swaram swarm and probably to Latin susurrus hum
Verb (2)
origin unknown
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb (1)
14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Verb (2)
14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Phrases Containing swarm
Kids Definition
swarm 1 of 2
noun
ˈswȯrm
1
: a large number of bees that leave a hive together to form a new colony elsewhere
2
: a large number grouped together and usually in motion
a swarm of mosquitoes
a swarm of tourists
swarm
2 of 2verb
swarmed; swarming
1
: to form a swarm and leave the hive
swarming bees
2
: to move or gather in a large number
Shoppers swarmed into the stores.
3
: to be filled with a great number : teem
"A-a-are there really ghosts in the attic?" … "It's just swarming with all sorts of ghosts …"
Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Longstocking
Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Longstockingswarms 1 of 3
noun
as in throngs
a great number of persons or creatures massed together a swarm of tourists descends upon the island every summer Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- throngs
- hordes
- flocks
- crowds
- masses
- multitudes
- legions
- masses
- armies
- mobs
- droves
- herds
- millions
- crushes
- bikes
- hosts
- routs
- crams
- gaggles
- rabbles
- presses
- piles
- riffraffs
- rabblements
- scrums
- heaps
- mountains
- jams
- logjams
swarms
2 of 3verb (1)
1
as in flocks
to move upon or fill (something) in great numbers meeting little resistance, the pirates swarmed the decks of the merchant ship Synonyms & Similar Words
- flocks
- crowds
- throngs
- mobs
- invades
- infests
- jams
- besets
- overruns
- dams
- clogs
- obstructs
- plugs (up)
2
as in bursts
to be copiously supplied at this time of year that Mexican resort swarms with college students on spring break Synonyms & Similar Words
- bursts
- buzzes
- teems
- bulges
- bustles
- hums
- brims
- abounds
- overflows
- bristles
- crawls
- pullulates
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- needs
- wants
- lacks
swarms
3 of 3verb (2)
as in climbs
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 Synonyms & Similar Words
- climbs
- scrambles
- clambers
- shinnies
- shins
- scales
- breasts
- ascends
- scrabbles
- summits
- claws
- struggles
- surmounts
- shimmies
- sprawls
- skins
- free-climbs
- mounts
- gets up