formication

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noun

An abnormal skin sensation similar to that of insects crawling over or within the skin; a tactile hallucination involving such a sensation. A common side-effect of substance abuse, it can also be experienced with high fever, menopause, skin cancer, diabetic neuropathy, or herpes zoster.

Similar
creevlescreepy-crawlies
OriginLatin formīca →
RareScrabble 18
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Meanings

nounformication (countable and uncountable, plural formications)

plural formications

  1. countableuncountablemedicineAn abnormal skin sensation similar to that of insects crawling over or within the skin; a tactile hallucination involving such a sensation. A common side-effect of substance abuse, it can also be experienced with high fever, menopause, skin cancer, diabetic neuropathy, or herpes zoster.

    Soon the formications and muscular debility returned, not alone, but accompanied with painful cramps and startlings in the feet and calves of the legs.

    1853, The Scottish Review

    Synonyms: creevles, creepy-crawlies

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAn abnormal skin sensation similar to that of insects crawling over or within the skin; a tactile hallucination involving such a sensation. A common side-effect of substance abuse, it can also be experienced with high fever, menopause, skin cancer, diabetic neuropathy, or herpes zoster.

Similar
creevlescreepy-crawlies

Origin

  1. Latinformīca“ant”
  2. Englishformication

Circa 1700, from Latin formīca (“ant”) + -tion.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic تَنْمِيل
  • تَنْمِيل (tanmīl)abnormal skin sensation
French fourmillement
  • fourmillementabnormal skin sensation
Portuguese formigamento
  • formigamentoabnormal skin sensation
Spanish formicación
  • formicaciónabnormal skin sensation
Turkish karıncalanma
  • karıncalanmaabnormal skin sensation
Cite this entry
APA

formication. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/formication

MLA

“formication.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/formication. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “formication,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/formication.

Source: formication on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.