parasites

noun

plural of parasite
as in leeches
a person who is supported by or seeks support from another without making an adequate return a parasite who lived in the family's basement and refused to get a job or pay rent

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of parasites Continue reading … BROKEN COVENANT — Javier Milei blasts UN as 'useless' den of 'fatally arrogant parasites' in raucous speech. — FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026 Analyzing mosquito waste showed the presence of viruses along with other parasites. — Devika Rao, TheWeek, 23 Sep. 2026 Two species of sea spider—one that views the world through red eyes, and another crawling with parasites. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 23 Sep. 2026 Under this theory, organisms figured out how to turn genes off to get these unruly genetic parasites under control. — Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026 These birds are always injured, sick, full of parasites and in need of intensive rehabilitation when rescued. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 19 Sep. 2026 The final step is ultraviolet disinfection, which uses high-intensity ultraviolet light to kill or inactivate viruses and parasites, such as giardia. — Piper Heath, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026 The fish, having been medicated by this point, would have weakened immune systems unable to protect them against parasites. — John Donegan Long Beach Post, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026 But much of it appears to be little more than the remains of viruses and other molecular parasites. — John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 9 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parasites
  1. leeches
  2. sponges
  3. freeloaders
  4. henchmen
  5. hangers-on
  6. bloodsuckers
Noun
  • The lightning-fast process leeches out flavor and compromises textures, and can produce bland, mushy results.
    — Emily Saladino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 June 2026
  • The fact is that leeches are relished by everything from walleyes and bass to trout and all the panfish.
    — Byron W. Dalrymple, Outdoor Life, 4 June 2026
Definition of leeches
Noun
  • While melamine sponges are certainly effective cleaning tools, they are also considered an abrasive material and can leave fine scratches all across your stainless steel appliances.
    — Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 28 Sep. 2026
  • While these sponges are perfect for areas like baseboards, walls, and countertops, modern TV screens are not made with the same give.
    — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of sponges
Noun
  • Hookworms are freeloaders that live at the host’s expense inside their gut, drinking about two drops of blood per day.
    — Jay Kakade August 05, Refractor, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The wide-open scam enriched Haitian freeloaders as Bonheur personally netted a million bucks in just two years after Joe Biden rang the dinner bell for every grifter in the Third World.
    — Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 7 July 2026
Definition of freeloaders
Noun
  • One of the villain’s henchmen was a small, shaggy blue creature with a long drooping snout and a sour expression that lived in a cigar box.
    — Niranjana Rajalakshmi, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Bird himself provides the voices for Xavier’s alien henchmen, Gunsol and Musker.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of henchmen
Noun
  • He’s surrounded by hangers-on, speaks with an oblique, affectless wisdom, and is named Harlow (rearrange the letters).
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • In late August, the hotel turns into a red-carpet event for celebrities, stars of the silver screen, and various hangers-on at the Venice Film Festival to which the Excelsior is inexorably linked, now enjoying its 10th decade.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of hangers-on
Noun
  • Ever since Bram Stoker popularized Count Dracula as a gothic figure of fantasy, the word vampire has been synonymous with undead bloodsuckers who vanish in a puff of smoke in the morning light (if not dazzle a little in the sunshine).
    — Mike McRae August 25, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026
  • These bloodsuckers can carry several potentially severe diseases, and shifting species ranges mean Lake County has a growing variety of ticks, said county Health Department Ecological Services Program Coordinator Alana Bartolai.
    — Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
Definition of bloodsuckers

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Cite this Entry

“Parasites.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parasites. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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