infested
Americanadjective
-
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.
-
filled or riddled with anything undesirable or troublesome (usually used in combination).
The restaurant sat in an increasingly tourist-infested part of town.
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In this method, pest control workers drill into infested wood, reach the termite "gallery" or hiding area, and inject insecticide directly inside.
From Science Daily • Apr. 20, 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
It was infested with rats and cockroaches, and smelt "nauseating".
From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026
The area was once viewed as ominous, dominated by an ancient walnut tree believed to be infested with demons and marking the supposed burial place of Emperor Nero.
From Science Daily • Feb. 2, 2026
And soon his gloom infested the whole school.
From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
