parasitic

adjective

variants also parasitical
Definition of parasiticnext
as in symbiotic

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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 parasitic First a multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis — a parasitic illness that can cause ‘explosive diarrhea’ — was linked to contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce, sickening nearly 11,000 people. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 25 Aug. 2026 Cattle rancher Johnny Mestas doesn’t want to get too worked up about New World screwworm, a fly whose parasitic larvae can eat cattle alive. — Max Saltman, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026 But disruptive policy choices played a hand in creating perfect storm for a parasitic outbreak to occur, and have likely made outbreak containment that much harder. — Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 20 Aug. 2026 Two people have died from the parasitic gastrointestinal illness and at least 740 people have been hospitalized. — Elizabeth Schulze, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for parasitic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parasitic
  1. symbiotic
  2. dependent
Adjective
  • Since then, different techniques have been developed to recruit the symbiotic microbe.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Thus, the relationship between gossip columnists Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper (itself the subject of George Eells’s 1971 dual biography, Hedda and Louella) was at first a symbiotic friendship and then a brutal rivalry.
    — Lindsey Weber, Vanity Fair, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of symbiotic
Adjective
  • The rural economy, largely dependent on farming, is also an important pillar of consumer spending.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • To your earlier point, so much of modern stardom is dependent on a social following.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of dependent

Browse Nearby Words

parasites
parasitic
paratroops
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Cite this Entry

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

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