Synonyms of infest

infest

verb

in-ˈfest 

as in to plague

to spread or swarm over in a troublesome manner

in desperation, we called in an exterminator because the house was infested with ants

Synonyms & Similar Words

• plague
• infect
• overrun
• crawl
• overwhelm
• abound
• beset
• annoy
• contaminate
• teem
• overspread
• pester

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of infest

Del Toro’s film concerns Edith’s growing realization that her husband’s home might be infested with a few ghosts, but Crimson Peak’s story places a distant second to del Toro and his production team’s marvelous weaving of turn-of-the-century dread. —Tim Grierson, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025

These invasive ticks so heavily infested an Ohio farm in 2021 that three cows died from blood loss. —Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 14 Oct. 2025

Clean your grimy phone If your devices become sticky, crusty or crumb-infested, Ek said to wipe them down with a clean, dry cloth, followed by a disinfectant wipe. —The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Oct. 2025

Quagga mussels and golden mussels, fingernail-sized invaders infesting California waterways, clog the water pumps and pipes responsible for distributing water to millions of people and vast stretches of farmland. —Pam Marrone, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025