varmint

/ˈvɑrmənt/

Other forms: varmints

Varmint is an informal word that means "wild animal" or "critter." Your uncle Bob might see a mouse and yell loudly, "Get out of my kitchen, you varmint!"

You won't be surprised to encounter varmints during a walk in the woods, though you probably don't expect to run into them in your bathroom or at the library. A pesky animal is most likely to be referred to this way, like a raccoon that keeps knocking your trash cans over. You can also call a human a varmint, especially if it's someone who's driving you crazy. Varmint, since the 1500's, has been an American slang version of vermin.

Definitions of varmint

1. noun

   any usually predatory wild animal considered undesirable; e.g., coyote
   synonyms: varment

   type of:

   animal, animate being, beast, brute, creature, fauna

   a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
2. noun

   an irritating or obnoxious person
   synonyms: vermin

   type of:

   bad person, malefactor

   a person who does harm to others