What it means
ورم (varam) means swelling or puffiness: the way skin, a joint, or a body part looks when it bloats up. The word came into Persian from Arabic, where the root و-ر-م (w-r-m) carries the sense of swelling, and it is now fully at home in everyday speech. People use it for an obvious physical sign, like a puffy eye after crying or a swollen ankle after a fall. A close relative is تورم (tavarrom), which sounds more formal and medical, while ورم is the plain, everyday choice.
How to use it
- پاش ورم کرده (pash varam karde) “his foot is swollen.”
- این ورم چیه روی دستت؟ (in varam chiye ru-ye dastet?) “what is this swelling on your hand?”
- لثهام ورم داره (lase-am varam dare) “my gum is swollen.”
- صورتش از دندوندرد ورم کرده (suratesh az dandun-dard varam karde) “his face is swollen from a toothache.”
Cultural note
In daily Persian, ورم is the first word people reach for when something on the body puffs up, from an insect bite to a sprained ankle. The verb form ورم کردن (varam kardan), meaning to swell, is heard constantly at home and at the pharmacy. When the matter turns clinical, doctors often switch to تورم (tavarrom) or التهاب (eltehab, inflammation), but ورم stays the common, casual word everyone understands.