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
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.
The infested willow plants were sold in 15 counties, mostly across Southern and Central California between June 24 and July 3.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
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
“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
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
He could tell from the yards, which were infested with weeds and litter and looked like tufts of greasy hair on an old man too weak to comb it.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
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.
