gnat
Americannoun
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any of certain small flies, especially the biting gnats or punkies of the family Ceratopogonidae, the midges of the family Chironomidae, and the black flies of the family Simuliidae.
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British. mosquito.
idioms
noun
Other Word Forms
- gnatlike adjective
Etymology
Origin of gnat
before 900; Middle English; Old English gnæt ( t ); cognate with German (dial.) Gnatze
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The novel opens by describing a local gnat infestation that seems to have spread to the writing, because all the words containing “nat” have been given a silent “g,” as in “extermignate” and “gnaturally.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026
Harvard-Westlake opened a 19-point lead in the second quarter, but Mack became like a troublesome gnat in the third quarter, drawing fouls and scoring 12 points to lead a comeback.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 7, 2023
“Seems to me we’re taking a bazooka to a gnat problem,” he said during the debate.
From Washington Post • Mar. 7, 2023
The life cycle of the fungus gnat is 18 days from egg to egg.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 10, 2023
She examines them sternly, going down the line, just as a gnat, attracted by the lotion perfuming her legs, lands on her big toenail and gets stuck.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
