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 Health officials in Berkeley said one person died and another person was hospitalized after contracting leptospirosis from rats that had infested their RV. Tim Fang, CBS News, 11 June 2026 The goat was newly confirmed as the latest case to be infested with New World screwworm, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said in a press conference Monday. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 11 June 2026 The home was rat-infested, had human and animal feces throughout and no central heat. Charlotte Observer, 11 June 2026 The flies lay their eggs in open wounds of animals like cattle, but wildlife, pets and occasionally even humans can be infested. Jeffrey Collins, Fortune, 9 June 2026 Cockroaches have infested the building Tourville lives in. Quil Lawrence, NPR, 28 May 2026 On the set of Empire, Henson pleaded for a trailer that wasn’t infested with bugs. Zak Cheney-Rice, Vulture, 13 May 2026 If the container held diseased plants, was infested with insects, or is full of mold, throw out the potting mix and replace it. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 May 2026 The National Park Service says that most human cases of hantavirus occur in the spring and are linked to buildings that become heavily infested with rodents over the winter. Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infested
Verb
  • This past offseason was a nightmare filled with mistakes, and the season has been plagued by one injury after another.
    Jim Bowden, New York Times, 16 June 2026
  • The charming little burg is plagued by a perplexing dead body problem.
    Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026
Verb
  • The administration is planning to prevent even US citizens from returning to the States if they have been exposed or infected with the virus.
    Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 12 June 2026
  • Under the new requirements, animals infected with New World screwworm cannot enter Colorado.
    Tori Mason, CBS News, 12 June 2026
Verb
  • When doctors smothered it in ointment, about 45 larvae crawled out.
    Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 9 June 2026
  • He was buried alive on a construction site and then poisoned by a venomous rattlesnake that crawled into his coffin and attacked him.
    Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Verb
  • The downpour quickly overwhelmed the city’s sewer system, and even the regional network of deep tunnels and reservoirs couldn’t keep up.
    Daniel C. Vock, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2026
  • Dozens of Broward food pantries, large and small, hundreds of nonprofit and faith-based organizations, along with thousands of local volunteers, are trying to fight the good fight, but they are overwhelmed by the growing need.
    Michael Farver, Sun Sentinel, 14 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Infested.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infested. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.

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