vermin

/ˈvɜrmɪn/
noun
  1. Small animals or insects that are harmful, destructive, or carry disease, such as rats, mice, cockroaches, or lice.
    • Farmers often struggle to protect their crops from vermin.
    • We called an exterminator to get rid of the vermin in the kitchen.
    • The old barn was infested with vermin like rats and mice.
  2. People who are considered harmful, despicable, or criminal; used as an insult.
    • The dictator called his opponents vermin to dehumanize them.
    • In the story, the villain treated his enemies like vermin.
    • The newspaper described the gang as vermin that needed to be removed from the streets.