Showing results for "infested"

• past tense form of infest.
• past participle of infest.

infested

American  

[in-fes-tid] / ɪnˈfɛs tɪd /

adjective

1. overrun to an unwanted degree or in a troublesome manner by predatory animals or vermin (often used in combination).

   It is so difficult to eradicate cockroaches from an infested area.

   The only unguarded way of escape was through an alligator-infested swamp.

2. filled or riddled with anything undesirable or troublesome (usually used in combination).

   The restaurant sat in an increasingly tourist-infested part of town.

---

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of infest.

Other Word Forms

• uninfested
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of infested

First recorded in 1890–1900; infest ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; infest ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

infested

Michael Schmoyer -- the associate administrator for the country's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and head of the NWS Directorate -- said the infested beef calf "is not a danger to the food supply."

From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026

"In areas where these termites are common, it's just a matter of time before homes are infested, so this study is a good initial step toward alternative strategies for controlling them."

From Science Daily ● May 9, 2026

“Our business is infested with idiots,” he famously warned, “who try to impress by using pretentious jargon.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026

People who live outdoors or in housing infested with rats or other rodents face a high risk of contracting the disease, according to public health officials.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026

Her caribou had been so infested with the larvae of nose flies it had not been able to eat.

From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George

Related Words

• ravaged