freeload

verb

free·​load ˈfrē-ˌlōd How to pronounce freeload (audio)
freeloaded; freeloading; freeloads

intransitive verb

: to impose upon another's generosity or hospitality without sharing in the cost or responsibility involved : sponge
freeloader noun

Examples of freeload in a Sentence

after college, he freeloaded off his parents for several years before finally moving out
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And, more broadly, that work requirements incentivize people to work and prevent able-bodied, working-age people from freeloading off of hard-working Americans. Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 26 June 2025 After less than 24 hours on the ground in the Netherlands, Trump headed back to Washington having secured a major policy change he's pushed for since 2017: a significant boost in defense spending by other NATO countries that the president has for years accused of freeloading off the United States. Arkansas Online, 26 June 2025 And again summer approaches and one must sift through all those spoiling invitations that inevitably come rolling in when one is an indolent (and impoverished) European aristocrat — who needs to freeload off the rich and hardworking. James Fallon, Footwear News, 24 May 2025 Minutes before Carney’s arrival, Trump set a contentious tone by accusing Canada of freeloading on trade and the nations’ geopolitical alliance. Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 6 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for freeload

Word History

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of freeload was in 1940

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Freeload.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freeload. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

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