crank bug

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

An imaginary insect crawling on or under the skin, a symptom of delusional parasitosis brought on by methamphetamine use.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English
Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “crank bug” mean?

An imaginary insect crawling on or under the skin, a symptom of delusional parasitosis brought on by methamphetamine use.

Is “crank bug” formal or informal?

crank bug is generally slang.