infested

past tense of infest
as in plagued
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

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of infested Certainly one of those features that hits as nicer on the show floor than in a mosquito- and midge-infested patch of swamp-adjacent wilderness, the hatch opens up a breezy indoor/outdoor setup with al fresco-style dining room. — New Atlas, 11 Nov. 2026 Sidewalks, footbridges, crosswalks, parks, esplanades, car-free plazas — just about every public space where pedestrians should feel at ease has been infested by a chaotic swarm of vehicles, both electrified and not. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 5 Nov. 2026 The physical conditions are so bad that cells are infested with mold and vermin, the letter said. — Jessica Ryan, AJC.com, 19 Oct. 2026 Evidence showed the couple was aware that their home was infested with mold and cockroaches and littered with garbage and pet feces, officials said. — Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 15 Oct. 2026 Students have drawn attention to rundown classrooms that lack basics such as desks and chairs, become sweltering in summer without air conditioning and, in some cases, are infested with rats. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026 Jurors heard testimony from three of Alsheikh’s victims who said they were packed into small, filthy, cold, wet cells that were infested with insects and other vermin. — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026 For bare soil or areas heavily infested with persistent weeds, apply a 2- to 3-inch-thick layer of organic mulch directly over the bare soil. — Manjot Kaur Sidhu, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026 Despite those efforts, New World screwworm infested thousands of animals in Panama and Mexico, and in June, the US Department of Agriculture confirmed the first US cases in years. — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infested
Verb
  • Leo's packed three-day itinerary in Uruguay includes a visit to a neighborhood plagued by gang violence, a Mass in Paysandú, around 230 miles from the capital, and another Mass in the city of Florida, about 60 miles from Montevideo.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The Cybertruck was plagued from the get-go – from promises of its release in the late 2010s to its eventual rollout in 2023.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • But researchers were also understanding the important role of T cells from the immune system in recognizing cells that had been infected by viruses and were producing viral proteins—in a way similar to how cancer cells make foreign molecules.
    — Time, Time, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Prior to the advent of the first measles vaccine in 1963, millions of people were estimated to be infected every year and hundreds of people died, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • This year has both flown past and also crawled along at a snail’s pace.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The lawsuit says Brave crawled and copied content from more than 30 billion webpages in its index without identifying itself or providing the owners of websites any mechanism to block its crawler, according to the newspapers’ complaint.
    — Molly Crane Newman, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Peru, a nation of 34 million people, is overwhelmed by challenges, among them the looming arrival of nature’s chaotic climatic agent of El Niño, violent crime and income inequality.
    — Luis Andres Henao, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026
  • The providers who have stayed have been overwhelmed by vets’ needs — a dynamic that employees say is playing out in VA hospitals across the country.
    — Eric Umansky, ProPublica, 11 Nov. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Infested.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infested. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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