insect
gb/ˈɪnsˌɛkt/ us/ˈɪnsˌɛkt/
A2
English
~ 7600
rovar, féreg, senki
NOUN
A2
1
rovar
A2
Usage pattern:
an [adjective] insect
An unknown insect bit her ankle while she was hiking in the forest.
Egy ismeretlen rovar csípte meg a bokáját, miközben az erdőben túrázott.
Many farmers use nets to keep harmful insects away from their crops.
Sok gazda hálóval tartja távol a kártevő rovarokat a növényeitől.
The child watched the tiny insect crawl slowly across the windowsill.
Some insects, like bees and butterflies, play a key role in pollinating plants.
Researchers are studying how climate change affects insect populations worldwide.
Learner examples
An insect landed on my hand.
Egy rovar rászállt a kezemre.
There is a small green insect on the leaf.
Egy kis zöld rovar van a levélen.
He bought spray to kill insects in the kitchen.
Some people are afraid of insects.
Birds eat many insects in the garden.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "bug" in formal writing where "insect" is better. They may also mistakenly call spiders and other eight-legged creatures "insects"; in science, spiders are not insects.
Meaning
small six-legged animal
Collocations
insect bite
|insect repellent
|insect species
|insect population
|insect world
|insect damage
Synonyms
bug (Informal word; in everyday speech it often means any small insect, and sometimes other small creatures like spiders.)
|
creepy-crawly (Informal and a bit childish; focuses on the uncomfortable or scary feeling insects can give.)
Antonyms
mammal (Contrasts insects with warm-blooded animals like humans, dogs, or cats, which are very different in body type.)
Themes
animals
|science
|nature
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A very small animal with six legs, like an ant, bee, or fly, often with wings.
A small air-breathing animal with a hard outer body, six legs, and usually one or two pairs of wings, such as an ant, bee, beetle, or fly.
NOUN
B2
TECHNICAL
2
rovar
B2
Usage pattern:
an insect of the family [name]
The study focuses on a common forest insect belonging to the family Curculionidae.
A kutatás egy gyakori erdei rovarra összpontosít, amely az ormányosbogár-félék családjába tartozik.
This fossil insect provides new evidence about the evolution of wings.
Ez a fosszilis rovar új bizonyítékot szolgáltat a szárnyak evolúciójáról.
Insects are the most diverse group of animals, with over a million described species.
The course covers insect anatomy, physiology, and behavior in detail.
As temperatures rise, insect ranges are shifting toward higher latitudes.
Learner examples
Insects are a very large group of animals.
A rovarok az állatok nagyon nagy csoportját alkotják.
A bee is an insect, but a spider is not an insect.
A méh rovar, de a pók nem rovar.
Scientists found a new insect in the rainforest.
Many insects have wings and can fly.
This book is about the life of insects.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse the everyday meaning of "insect" with the strict scientific meaning. In daily speech, people sometimes include spiders or other small creatures, but in science these are not insects.
Meaning
animal of class Insecta
Collocations
insect species
|insect order
|insect family
|insect taxonomy
|insect physiology
|insect evolution
Synonyms
insecta (Technical Latin name for the group; mainly used in scientific and classification contexts.)
Antonyms
vertebrate (Scientific contrast term for animals with backbones, as opposed to insects and other invertebrates.)
Themes
science
|biology
|animals
|nature
Definition
In science, an insect is an animal in the group Insecta, with a head, a middle part, a back part, six legs, and often wings.
In biology, an arthropod of the class Insecta, characterized by a three-part body, three pairs of legs, compound eyes, and usually one or two pairs of wings.
NOUN
C1
INFORMAL
3
Usage pattern:
to treat [someone] like an insect
To the powerful company executives, the local villagers were insects whose opinions did not matter.
A nagy hatalmú cégvezetők szemében a helyi falusiak csak senkik voltak, akiknek a véleménye nem számított.
He spoke to me as if I were an insect under his shoe.
Úgy beszélt velem, mintha csak egy féreg lennék a cipője alatt.
In the eyes of the dictator, political opponents were insects to be crushed.
The hero refuses to treat other people like insects, no matter how poor or weak they are.
She felt like an insect in that huge, unfriendly city.
Learner examples
He talks to his workers like they are insects.
Úgy beszél a munkásaival, mintha férgek lennének.
They treated him like an insect and did not listen to him.
Úgy bántak vele, mintha egy senki lenne, és nem hallgatták meg.
The king saw his enemies as insects.
She felt like an insect next to the rich and famous people.
No one should call another person an insect.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this is a neutral way to talk about people. It is very negative and should be used with care, usually in stories, drama, or strong criticism.
Meaning
person seen as worthless
Collocations
crush like an insect
|treat like an insect
|feel like an insect
Synonyms
nobody (Informal; focuses on lack of importance, but is less vivid and less insulting than calling someone an insect.)
Antonyms
important person (Highlights the contrast between someone seen as worthless and someone seen as significant or powerful.)
Themes
emotions
|social
|communication
|relationships
Definition
A very rude way to talk about a person you think is weak and not important at all.
A person regarded as extremely unimportant, weak, or contemptible, as if they were a tiny insect.
Grammar
Dictionary form
insect
IPA
GB/ˈɪnsˌɛkt/
US/ˈɪnsˌɛkt/
Syllables & stress
in - sect (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (in)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: insect
- Plural: insects
Word family
Forms
insects
noun
Related words
bug
noun A1
insecticide
noun
Advanced or less common
insectivorous
adjective
insectivore
noun
Expressions
insect bite
1/ˈɪnsˌɛkt bˈaɪt/
fixed phrase
wound made by an insect
A small red or swollen mark on your skin where an insect has bitten or stung you.
Examples
- The doctor checked his arm and said it was just an insect bite.
- Her legs were covered in itchy insect bites after the picnic.
- Some people have serious allergic reactions to insect bites.
insect pest
1/ˈɪnsˌɛkt pˈɛst/
fixed phrase
harmful insect for people or crops
An insect that causes damage to plants, food, houses, or animals, and is a problem for people.
Examples
- Farmers are looking for new ways to control insect pests without using so many chemicals.
- The report lists the main insect pests that attack rice plants.
- Climate change may increase the number of insect pests in some regions.
insect population
1/ˈɪnsˌɛkt pˌɑpjəlˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
number of insects in an area
The total number of insects of one kind or of all kinds living in a certain place.
Examples
- Scientists have noticed a sharp decline in the local insect population.
- Pesticides can greatly reduce insect populations in farmland.
- Changes in temperature can cause insect populations to move north.
insect protein
1/ˈɪnsˌɛkt pɹˈoʊtˌin/
fixed phrase
protein food made from insects
Protein that comes from insects and is used as food for people or animals.
Examples
- Some companies are developing snacks made from insect protein.
- Insect protein is seen as a more sustainable alternative to beef.
- The farm produces insect protein for use in fish feed.
insect repellent
1/ˈɪnsˌɛkt ɹɪpˈɛlənt/
fixed phrase
substance that keeps insects away
A spray, cream, or other product that you put on your skin or clothes so that insects do not bite you.
Examples
- Don't forget to pack insect repellent for the camping trip.
- She sprayed insect repellent on her legs before walking through the long grass.
- The store sells natural insect repellent made with lemon oil.
insect world
1/ˈɪnsˌɛkt wˈɚld/
fixed phrase
all insects as a group
All insects, thought of as one large group or community.
Examples
- The documentary explores the hidden insect world living in the soil.
- Children are often fascinated by the insect world in their own backyards.
- In the insect world, many species communicate using chemicals called pheromones.