infest
infest Lexical Profile
infest Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To be present in a place or on a host in large, troublesome numbers, typically so as to cause damage or disease (especially of insects, parasites, or vermin).
"Drywood termites can quickly infest the wooden beams of an older house if left untreated."
To pervade, haunt, or trouble a place or organization in an unwelcome or harmful way.
"Smugglers and pirates continued to infest the coastal shipping lanes throughout the seventeenth century."
Word Nuance & Usage
"Infest" is most commonly used in the passive voice (e.g., "a house infested with mice") and carries a strongly negative connotation of pests, disease, or undesirable intruders.
• Rhymes for infest
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 15th century from Middle French infester, from Latin infestare ("to attack, trouble, or annoy"), derived from infestus ("hostile, unsafe, or disturbed").