Earworm is a vivid metaphor for a song or tune that repeats in your mind without invitation. The English word comes from the German Ohrwurm, which literally means ear worm.
The idea is not that a real worm is in your ear. Instead, the image suggests something small that keeps returning and is hard to ignore. That makes it a memorable name for a catchy bit of music that seems to replay on its own.
English borrowed this metaphor because it captures the experience so well. You hear a chorus once, and then hours later it is still looping in your head.
- A common example is a short pop chorus that repeats in your mind all afternoon.
- People also use the word for jingles, such as an ad tune you did not want to remember.
So the name earworm stuck for the same reason the songs do: it is simple, vivid, and hard to forget.