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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of parasites
Most standard portable filters only catch parasites, so check that any filter is certified to NSF Standard 53 or 58 with a small enough pore size.
—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
24 June 2026
Most portable filters won’t catch viruses or bacteria, but one certified to NSF Standard 53 or 58 with a small enough pore size can remove parasites.
—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
24 June 2026
Tick season is in full swing, and unfortunately for us humans, these parasites are having a banner year.
—
Kate Wong,
Scientific American,
22 June 2026
Some organisms are subjected to passive locomotion, carried by water or air (jellyfish, spiders), while many parasites (from ticks to hookworms) ride on or inside other animals.
—
Literary Hub,
22 June 2026
Even young raccoons can bite or scratch when frightened, and wild animals can carry parasites and diseases, says Rakestraw.
—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
20 June 2026
These organisms were either in symbiotic association with, engulfed as food by, or parasites of other prokaryotic cells, presumably Asgard archaea—a group of archaea thought to be the closest prokaryotic relative of eukaryotes.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
18 June 2026
Fungi like Cryptococcus and parasites or amoebas can cause fungal meningitis or parasitic meningitis.
—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
And now the parasites that love our lawns ready to feast on animal blood.
—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
17 June 2026
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
24 June 2026
Most portable filters won’t catch viruses or bacteria, but one certified to NSF Standard 53 or 58 with a small enough pore size can remove parasites.
—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
24 June 2026
Tick season is in full swing, and unfortunately for us humans, these parasites are having a banner year.
—
Kate Wong,
Scientific American,
22 June 2026
Some organisms are subjected to passive locomotion, carried by water or air (jellyfish, spiders), while many parasites (from ticks to hookworms) ride on or inside other animals.
—
Literary Hub,
22 June 2026
Even young raccoons can bite or scratch when frightened, and wild animals can carry parasites and diseases, says Rakestraw.
—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
20 June 2026
These organisms were either in symbiotic association with, engulfed as food by, or parasites of other prokaryotic cells, presumably Asgard archaea—a group of archaea thought to be the closest prokaryotic relative of eukaryotes.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
18 June 2026
Fungi like Cryptococcus and parasites or amoebas can cause fungal meningitis or parasitic meningitis.
—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
And now the parasites that love our lawns ready to feast on animal blood.
—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
17 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parasites
Noun
-
The lightning-fast process leeches out flavor and compromises textures, and can produce bland, mushy results.
-
The fact is that leeches are relished by everything from walleyes and bass to trout and all the panfish.
Noun
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Hang towels, bath mats, and washcloths, loofahs, or sponges to air-dry thoroughly after each use since damp towels can encourage mold growth.
-
Chris DeArmitt, president of the Plastics Research Council, says fibers act like sponges.
Noun
-
That will weed out the frauds, freeloaders and slumlords.
-
Under Bolsonaro, state funding dried up, and the government painted artists as freeloaders wasting taxpayer money.
Noun
-
Now, Lilith must team up with Cinderella to fight biker trolls, outrun evil henchmen, and escape the Screaming Woods.
-
Launched in early 1982, the original MOTU line-up saw He-Man and Skeletor joined by heroes Teela (at this point, the only female character), Man-at-Arms and Stratos; the morally ambiguous Zodac; and a couple of Skeletor's henchmen, Beast Man and Mer-Man.
Noun
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And among the security staff, assorted suits and other hangers-on, the money promised to the players disappeared.
-
Decades after Julian’s vanishing there, the band and various hangers-on recall eerie incidents both in and out of the house—rooms full of occult literature; pub full of haunting photographs—as well as the glimmering stranger circling the Orpheus-esque Julian.
Noun
-
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.
-
As if dealing with fleas in your yard isn’t enough, these little bloodsuckers can infest your home, too.
Cite this Entry
“Parasites.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parasites. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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