Coral reefs teem with colorful creatures.

Meaning: This sentence describes coral reefs that are full of many different colorful living things.

Choice of Words: Coral is a hard substance produced by tiny sea animals called coral polyps. Reefs are long, narrow ridges of coral or rock in the sea. Teem means to be full of something. With means together with or in the company of. Colorful means having many different colors. Creatures are living things.

Alternative Expressions

Coral reefs are full of colorful creatures.

Meaning: This means that there are many different kinds of animals that live in coral reefs, and they come in all different colors.

Choice of Words: Coral reefs are underwater structures made of calcium carbonate, secreted by tiny animals called coral polyps. Teem means to be full of something, so this sentence is saying that coral reefs are full of colorful creatures.

Coral reefs are crawling with colorful creatures.

Meaning: This means that the colorful creatures are moving around the coral reef in a lively and energetic way.

Choice of Words: Crawling means to move along on hands and knees or by dragging oneself along the ground. In this sentence, it is used figuratively to describe the way that the colorful creatures move around the coral reef.

Coral reefs are swarming with colorful creatures.

Meaning: This means that there are so many colorful creatures in the coral reef that they seem to be swarming all over it.

Choice of Words: Swarming means to move in a large group or crowd. In this sentence, it is used to describe the way that the colorful creatures move around the coral reef.

Related Expressions