gnat
noun
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.
gnats
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pluralof gnat.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
“Moths, gnats, and God knows what else,” he’d said in the lead-up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
The summer humidity in Washington often attracts an unpleasant number of insects, and The Weather Channel is reporting that swarms of mosquitoes and gnats may find their way into the cage.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
The following fall, Helton stood on the banks of Beautiful Eagle Creek, gnats swirling overhead, wondering if maybe its water really was magic after all.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2025
With no screens or cell phones to take our attention, we ‘worked’ outside in the back of a pickup under a shade tree with a big fan that kept the gnats away.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2025
The swarm of gnats stayed behind, preferring the contents of Zero's stomach to the sweat on the boys' faces.
From "Holes" by Louis Sachar
