noun
Refers to small crawling creatures like worms and insects, often with a nuance of being insignificant or unpleasant. Used in both literal and figurative contexts.
石をひっくり返したら、虫けらがたくさん出てきた。
When I turned over the stone, lots of bugs came out.
彼は虫けら同然に扱われた。
He was treated like a mere worm.
noun
insignificant person; pathetic person; worm
Derogatory term for a person considered worthless or contemptible, likening them to a bug. Strongly insulting.
あんな虫けらに負けるわけにはいかない。
I can't lose to a worm like that.
Rare kanji form using 螻 (けら, mole cricket). Seldom used in modern Japanese.
Compound of 虫 (むし, 'insect') and けら ('mole cricket'). The second element けら originally referred to the mole cricket specifically, but in this compound it serves to emphasize small, insignificant creatures. The exact derivation of けら is uncertain, but it is a native Japanese word.