PARASITES Synonyms: 29 Similar and Opposite Words

parasites

noun

plural of parasite

as in leeches

a person who is supported by or seeks support from another without making an adequate return a parasite who lived in the family's basement and refused to get a job or pay rent

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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 parasites This is especially true for parasites like Cyclospora that cling tightly to produce, Coffman added. — Sarah Garone, HEALTH, 6 Aug. 2026 The researchers found the mixture overall removed more parasites from both berries, but not a significant amount more than cleaning the berries in a salad spinner. — Elyssa Kaufman, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026 These parasites rely on the digestive tracts of humans - and only humans - to reproduce. — Pien Huang, NPR, 2 Aug. 2026 During a Supreme Court hearing in May, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant appeared to compare some unemployed young people entering media, activism and other professions to cockroaches and parasites. — Penny Abeywardena, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 With that, his exertions in perfecting his homegrown colony process—the green smoothie for caterpillars, testing procedures for parasites—came into clearer view for me. — Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026 Development brought in fresh players and motivated the old parasites, the new ventures attracted workers and generated tax revenues to pay for yet more development. — Literary Hub, 28 July 2026 Beekeepers reported that the primary causes of death were parasites, pathogens, exposure to pesticides and inadequate nutrition. — Sophie Caldwell, CNBC, 25 July 2026 The recent article on the cyclospora outbreak is an important reminder that food safety extends beyond bacteria and parasites. — Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 25 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for parasites

Noun

The lightning-fast process leeches out flavor and compromises textures, and can produce bland, mushy results.

— Emily Saladino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 June 2026
The fact is that leeches are relished by everything from walleyes and bass to trout and all the panfish.

— Byron W. Dalrymple, Outdoor Life, 4 June 2026

Definition of leeches

Noun

Battered metal is as crucial to his kit as conventional drum sounds, and even his tonal elements feel as malleable as wrung-out sponges or wet lumps of clay.

— Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 30 July 2026
The corals and sponges had been dusted with the silty mud from the dredge.

— Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026

Definition of sponges

Noun

Hookworms are freeloaders that live at the host’s expense inside their gut, drinking about two drops of blood per day.

— Jay Kakade August 05, Refractor, 5 Aug. 2026
The wide-open scam enriched Haitian freeloaders as Bonheur personally netted a million bucks in just two years after Joe Biden rang the dinner bell for every grifter in the Third World.

— Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 7 July 2026

Definition of freeloaders

Noun

And so does Jesse — particularly the latest installment, which sees the iconic henchmen find themselves as accidental stars in 1920s Hollywood.

— Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
Now, Lilith must team up with Cinderella (Amanda Seyfried) to fight biker trolls, outrun evil henchmen, and escape the Screaming Woods on an epic quest to save the kingdom, but most importantly, their relationship.

— Rick Ellis, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026

Definition of henchmen

Noun

These bloodsuckers can carry several potentially severe diseases, and shifting species ranges mean Lake County has a growing variety of ticks, said county Health Department Ecological Services Program Coordinator Alana Bartolai.

— Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
The phrase has its own meaning within Anne Rice’s lush, grandiose world of bloodsuckers and spell-casters as interpreted by creator and showrunner Rolin Jones.

— Alison Herman, Variety, 7 June 2026

Definition of bloodsuckers

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“Parasites.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parasites. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of parasites

noun

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