parasitic
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or characteristic of parasites.
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(of diseases) due to parasites.
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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
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Turtles All the Way Down
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The Suffix -ic, Part 3
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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.
Michigan health officials have confirmed the first two deaths linked to the ongoing cyclospora outbreak, a parasitic infection spread through contaminated food or water that can cause severe diarrhoea.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
A massive parasitic outbreak has taken Taco Bell down a peg, and now it has to rebuild its momentum.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
The novel begins when Gelsomina ingests five parasitic worms after lapping up lake water.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Summer, a season of good eats and fresh produce, has been tainted by a rampant parasitic outbreak that’s made us all scared to indulge in a generous plate of Caesar salad.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
Copper wires can carry very high frequencies too, but only for a few feet before the signal starts to degrade in strength due to certain parasitic effects.
From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman
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.
