/ English Dictionary |
INFEST
Pronunciation (US): | (GB): |
I. (verb)
Verb forms
Present simple: I / you / we / they infest ... he / she / it infests
Past simple: infested
-ing form: infesting
Sense 1
Meaning:
Example:
the roaches infested our kitchen
Synonyms:
infest; overrun
Classified under:
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming
Hypernyms (to "infest" is one way to...):
invade; occupy (march aggressively into another's territory by military force for the purposes of conquest and occupation)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Derivation:
infestation (a swarm of insects that attack plants)
infestation (the state of being invaded or overrun by parasites)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Live on or in a host, as of parasites
Classified under:
Verbs of being, having, spatial relations
Hypernyms (to "infest" is one way to...):
inhabit (be present in)
Sentence frame:
Something is ----ing PP
Sense 3
Meaning:
Occupy in large numbers or live on a host
Example:
the Kudzu plant infests much of the South and is spreading to the North
Synonyms:
infest; invade; overrun
Classified under:
Verbs of being, having, spatial relations
Hypernyms (to "infest" is one way to...):
inhabit (be present in)
Sentence frames:
Something is ----ing PP
Something ----s something
Derivation:
infestation (a swarm of insects that attack plants)
infestation (the state of being invaded or overrun by parasites)