der Wurm
worm
A small, long, invertebrate animal without legs that lives in the soil, such as an earthworm.
EXAMPLE
Der frühe Vogel fängt den Wurm.
The early bird catches the worm.
der Wurm
worm
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Meanings
der Wurm drin sein
something is wrong
A fixed expression meaning that something is not working properly, that there is a problem, or that a plan keeps failing.
EXAMPLE
Seit dem letzten Update ist bei meinem Computer komplett der Wurm drin.
Since the last update, something has been completely wrong with my computer.
der Wurm
worm
A harmful computer program that spreads independently through networks in order to infect other computers.
EXAMPLE
Ein gefährlicher Wurm legte tausende Rechner lahm.
A dangerous worm disabled thousands of computers.
der Wurm
worm
A derogatory term for a person who is regarded as insignificant, weak, or contemptible.
EXAMPLE
Er fühlte sich wie ein kleiner Wurm, nachdem er den schweren Fehler gemacht hatte.
He felt like a little worm after making the serious mistake.
Usage tips
Context clues
You can recognize the meaning of 'Wurm' (worm) from the context. If it is about computers and technology, it means malware. In the idiom 'der Wurm ist drin' (something is wrong), it is about a general problem. In the context of nature or fishing, it means the animal.
EXAMPLE
Mein Laptop ist langsam, vielleicht habe ich mir einen Wurm eingefangen.
My laptop is slow; maybe I picked up a worm.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'der Wurm drin sein' (for something to be wrong) describes that something is not working or is faulty. The subject of the sentence is often the thing that has the problem, or you use the structure 'bei etwas ist der Wurm drin' (something is wrong with something).
EXAMPLE
Der Drucker funktioniert schon wieder nicht – da ist der Wurm drin.
The printer isn’t working again — something is wrong with it.
Well-known proverb
The proverb 'Der frühe Vogel fängt den Wurm' (the early bird catches the worm) is very well known. It means that it is worth getting up early or starting a task early in order to be successful.
EXAMPLE
Ich gehe schon um sechs Uhr morgens joggen. Der frühe Vogel fängt den Wurm!
I go jogging at six in the morning. The early bird catches the worm!
Typical collocations
In an IT context, 'Wurm' (worm) is often combined with verbs like 'sich verbreiten' (to spread), 'einen Computer infizieren' (to infect a computer), or 'Schaden anrichten' (to cause damage). People also often speak of a 'Computerwurm' (computer worm).
EXAMPLE
Der Wurm verbreitete sich schnell über das gesamte Firmennetzwerk.
The worm spread quickly throughout the entire company network.
Strong insult
When a person is called a 'Wurm' (worm), it is a strong insult. It expresses that one considers this person spineless, weak, or contemptible.
EXAMPLE
Er nannte ihn einen elenden Wurm, weil er ihn betrogen hatte.
He called him a miserable worm because he had betrayed him.
Compare with
Wurm vs Virus
virus
Virus and Wurm can both be harmful computer programs that spread themselves. A Virus is typically attached to a file or another program, whereas a Wurm spreads independently through networks. When the focus is on how it spreads, use Virus or Wurm depending on the context.
Wurm
Der Wurm verbreitete sich selbstständig über das Netzwerk und erreichte mehrere Computer.
The worm spread independently through the network and reached several computers.
Virus
Das Virus verbreitete sich, nachdem eine infizierte Datei auf mehreren Computern geöffnet worden war.
The virus spread after an infected file had been opened on several computers.
In real life
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