Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
formication

formication

9.9
A feeling that insects are crawling on or under your skin when none are there
  • noun
  • /ˌfɔrmɪˈkeɪʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : formicación
  • Three days later, I learned another new word: formication, the feeling of insects crawling on your skin.

Examples

  • Those deep scratches are probably the result of what's called formication.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • After a long hike, she felt a strange sensation of formication, as if insects were crawling on her skin.

  • People with anxiety sometimes report formication, feeling like small creatures are creeping on or under their skin.

  • He described the formication he experienced as unsettling, even though there were no bugs around.

Synonyms

itch
vsformication
41 1.0

An uncomfortable, tickling feeling on the skin that makes you want to scratch

involves a crawling feeling as if insects move on or under skin
itchiness
vsformication
2 2.3

An uncomfortable feeling on the skin that makes you want to scratch

involves a crawling sensation often without a physical cause

Surface Forms

formication singular
formications plural

Morphology

formication = formicate (opaque) = formic + ate + ion

The noun is formally based on the verb 'formicate' plus '-ion', but the medical sensation sense is not transparently predictable for most learners.

Etymology

The word formication comes from the Latin word formica, which means 'ant'. It was named for the strange feeling of ants or small bugs crawling on or under the skin, so the origin helps you remember the meaning.