Showing results for "infested"

• past participle of infest.
• past tense form 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.

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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

Every spring, caterpillars infested the fruit trees at their property’s edge, and every July the children watched from the porch as their father used a torch to burn out the larvae.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

Rats "the same size as a rabbit" have infested a city street where fly-tipping is an ongoing problem, residents say.

From BBC ● Mar. 6, 2026

Another of Dr. Hargraves’ patients was a professional man who had his office in an old building infested by roaches.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Related Words

• ravaged