invade

verb

in·​vade in-ˈvād 

invaded; invading

transitive verb

1

: to enter for conquest or plunder

2

: to encroach upon : infringe

3

a

: to spread over or into as if invading : permeate

doubts invade his mind

b

: to affect injuriously and progressively

gangrene invades healthy tissue

invader noun

Synonyms

• raid
• ravage
• dominate
• conquer
• occupy
• attack

Choose the Right Synonym for invade

trespass, encroach, infringe, invade mean to make inroads upon the property, territory, or rights of another.

trespass implies an unwarranted or unlawful intrusion.

hunters trespassing on farmland

encroach suggests gradual or stealthy entrance upon another's territory or usurpation of another's rights or possessions.

the encroaching settlers displacing the native peoples

infringe implies an encroachment clearly violating a right or prerogative.

infringing a copyright

invade implies a hostile and injurious entry into the territory or sphere of another.

accused of invading their privacy

Examples of invade in a Sentence

The troops invaded at dawn.

When tourists invade, the town is a very different place.

The cancer eventually invaded the brain.

Weeds had invaded the garden.

Bacteria invaded and caused an infection.

Recent Examples on the Web

On October 7, 2023, as a terrorist army invaded Israel intending to commit genocide against the Jewish people, many world leaders rightly condemned Hamas’ murder, rape, and slaughter of Israelis and foreign nationals. —Ofir Akunis, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025

The 2025 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine has been awarded to a trio of scientists – two of them American and one Japanese – for unraveling how the immune system protects us from thousands of different microbes trying to invade our bodies. —Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2025

Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied any plans to invade NATO countries. —Teri Schultz, NPR, 3 Oct. 2025

Even setting aside its usual criticisms (antisocial, privacy-invading, a bad omen for human connection), the necklace simply didn’t work as advertised. —Jordan Blum, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin invādere "to enter with hostile intent, assault, attack," from in- in- entry 2 + vādere "to advance, go (quickly or purposefully)" — more at wade entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing invade

• invade someone's privacy
• invade someone's space

Rhymes for invade

• afraid
• allayed
• arcade
• arrayed
• assayed
• barmaid
• betrayed
• blockade
• bridesmaid
• brigade
• brocade
• buffeted

Kids Definition

invade

verb

in·​vade in-ˈvād 

invaded; invading

1

: to enter for conquest or plunder

2

: to disturb or intrude upon

invaded their privacy

3

: to spread over or into usually harmfully

bacteria invading tissue

invader noun

Medical Definition

invade

transitive verb

in·​vade in-ˈvād 

invaded; invading

1

: to enter and spread within either normally (as in development) or abnormally (as in infection) often with harmful effects

protect the body from invading viruses

branches of a nerve invade the skin area

2

: to affect injuriously and progressively

gangrene invades healthy tissue

invader

-ˈvād-ər 

noun

Legal Definition

invade

transitive verb

in·​vade

invaded; invading

1

: to encroach upon : infringe

invading a constitutional right

2

: to make payments out of (a fund from which payments are not ordinarily made)

authorized the trustee to invade the principal for educational expenses