parasitic
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or characteristic of parasites.
-
(of diseases) due to parasites.
-
Phonetics. excrescent.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of parasitic
1620–30; < Latin parasīticus < Greek parasītikós. See parasite, -ic
Explanation
The adjective parasitic is mainly a scientific term for talking about an organism that lives on a host, taking what it needs to stay alive while often injuring the host. By their nature, ticks, leeches, and lice are all parasitic; they live off their hosts. You can also use the word parasitic more metaphorically, to describe a person who takes without giving anything in return. A thirty year-old man who lives with his mother, eating her food and not paying rent, could be described as parasitic, since he survives by sponging off another person. Parasitic comes from the Greek word parasitos, "eating at another's table."
Vocabulary lists containing parasitic
The Poet X
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Turtles All the Way Down
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Suffix -ic, Part 3
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
This club of apiarists -- ranging from hobbyists to full-time commercial bee farmers -- gathers regularly to learn new skills and discuss tricky problems, not least the parasitic varroa mites that plague their hives.
From Barron's • May 19, 2026
"The entire case is parasitic on having to prove that foreign government officials engaged in serious human rights violations in their own countries," Gannon said.
From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026
Irwin Mitchell solicitors said its clients had reported contracting gastric illnesses such as E coli, salmonella and shigella, and parasitic infections such as cryptosporidium.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
Health officials are urging people not to handle lambs on farm visits this spring after an outbreak of a parasitic infection linked to farm animals last year left dozens sick.
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026
It also took on the meaning of someone parasitic, living on the flesh of others.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
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.
