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
These conditions can facilitate the spread of viruses, bacteria and parasites.
—
Meg Tanaka, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Unclean bottles can grow bacteria, fungi, and parasites that may cause gastrointestinal symptoms.
—Laura Schober, Health, 10 Apr. 2026
These flatworms aren’t parasites.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
Yesterday's [podcast] was on interspecific brood parasites.
—Renée Onque, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2026
Across the century since their discovery, mycorrhizal fungi have been considered parasites of plant roots and, later, passive infrastructure that served plants’ interests.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
Becker is neutered, microchipped, fully vaccinated and has been treated for parasites.
—Maryanne Dell, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026
In the second stage, the parasites invade the brain and central nervous system, causing severe neurological problems including confusion, dramatic disruptions to sleep patterns and, in advanced cases, coma.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Some parasites are harmless, even for people with weakened immune systems.
—Sarah Boden, NPR, 16 Mar. 2026
Meg Tanaka, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Unclean bottles can grow bacteria, fungi, and parasites that may cause gastrointestinal symptoms.
—Laura Schober, Health, 10 Apr. 2026
These flatworms aren’t parasites.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
Yesterday's [podcast] was on interspecific brood parasites.
—Renée Onque, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2026
Across the century since their discovery, mycorrhizal fungi have been considered parasites of plant roots and, later, passive infrastructure that served plants’ interests.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
Becker is neutered, microchipped, fully vaccinated and has been treated for parasites.
—Maryanne Dell, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026
In the second stage, the parasites invade the brain and central nervous system, causing severe neurological problems including confusion, dramatic disruptions to sleep patterns and, in advanced cases, coma.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Some parasites are harmless, even for people with weakened immune systems.
—Sarah Boden, NPR, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parasites
Noun
-
Crappie like to hover below their prey, fining in place and examining slow-swimming invertebrates such as damselfly, dragonfly, and mayfly nymphs, as well as small leeches.—
Cory Schmidt,
Outdoor Life,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The jungle, in the Truong Son range between Laos and the South China Sea, is home to tigers and leeches.—
Nicole Young,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Damp sponges and towels can cause bacteria to grow along with mold and musty odors.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Heavy-duty abrasive sponges can leave visible scratches and dull finishes on appliances.—
Maria Sabella,
The Spruce,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That will weed out the frauds, freeloaders and slumlords.—
Scott Ostler,
San Francisco Chronicle,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Under Bolsonaro, state funding dried up, and the government painted artists as freeloaders wasting taxpayer money.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Key witnesses in the government’s case included Spann’s top henchmen, who cooperated with prosecutors in hopes for leniency.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
-
This is potentially disastrous, given that Josh is now in the custody of the chairwoman’s henchmen.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The book orbits around an art scandal that pulls in collectors, curators, philosophers and hangers-on.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The world has gotten a glimpse of the fawning, skeezy shamelessness of his famous hangers-on, but not enough to criminally implicate them.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
While Hollywood vampires—especially those in the Twilight series—have a devoted fan base, real-life bloodsuckers aren’t so adored.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
On the opening night of their juke joint in 1930s Mississippi, they are beset by a small band of vampires, intent on turning everyone inside into bloodsuckers.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Parasites.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parasites. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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