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 Caused by parasites spread via Anopheles mosquitoes, malaria can cause symptoms including nausea, headache and intense waves of fever and chills. — CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026 In mid-May, India’s chief justice made some comments comparing unemployed youth to cockroaches and parasites. — Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026 Many other fungi, parasites, and viruses are difficult or impossible to culture. — Jason Liebowitz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2026 Even all the way down in South Florida, plants long dismissed as parasites could turn out to offer benefits to their hosts, and prompt parks and gardeners to rethink when to reach for pruning shears and weedkillers. — Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026 Melvin may be tiny, but his spirit is not, and the kitty has beaten all the odds, including two parasites, an upper respiratory infection, and an eye infection. — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026 Some cats groom excessively because of skin issues or parasites. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2026 Produce with wildlife damage may carry bacteria, parasites, or diseases; contamination is likely if bite marks are present. — Amy Brightfield, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Aug. 2026 The parasites have performed well under lab conditions but transitions to practical application must be handled with extreme care. — Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 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

Wash microfiber towels in hot water after each use and replace sponges frequently.

— Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 20 Aug. 2026
Skip the paintbrush and add texture to paintings by swapping in sponges, scrubbers, a comb, leaves, flowers, bath poufs, toy cars, LEGO bricks, blocks, cookie cutters, marbles (let kids roll them around with paper in a box), and, of course, fingers.

— Michelle Crouch, Parents, 14 Aug. 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

After seven years of no sleep, grief, and nightmares, Suleyman finally reunites with his mother in Paradise—just as henchmen, cops, and one very bad raid drag him back into hell.

— Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 18 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of henchmen

Noun

Ever since Bram Stoker popularized Count Dracula as a gothic figure of fantasy, the word vampire has been synonymous with undead bloodsuckers who vanish in a puff of smoke in the morning light (if not dazzle a little in the sunshine).

— Mike McRae August 25, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of bloodsuckers

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“Parasites.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parasites. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of parasites

noun

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