infested; infesting; infests
1
: to spread or swarm in or over in a troublesome manner
a slum infested with crime
shark-infested waters
2
: to live in or on as a parasite
Examples of infest in a Sentence
in desperation, we called in an exterminator because the house was infested with ants
Recent Examples on the Web
Of the more than five thousand tributaries that empty into the Great Lakes, about one in ten is infested with lampreys.
—
Katie Thornton, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
Money trees infested with pests or diseases may develop brown leaves.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Oct. 2025
Del Toro’s film concerns Edith’s growing realization that her husband’s home might be infested with a few ghosts, but Crimson Peak’s story places a distant second to del Toro and his production team’s marvelous weaving of turn-of-the-century dread.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
Borers and Beetles Bark beetles and borers can infest trees and cause damage that oozes sap.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for infest
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Katie Thornton, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
Money trees infested with pests or diseases may develop brown leaves.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Oct. 2025
Del Toro’s film concerns Edith’s growing realization that her husband’s home might be infested with a few ghosts, but Crimson Peak’s story places a distant second to del Toro and his production team’s marvelous weaving of turn-of-the-century dread.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
Borers and Beetles Bark beetles and borers can infest trees and cause damage that oozes sap.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for infest
Cite this Entry
“Infest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infest. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
infest
verb
in·fest
in-ˈfest 
1
: to spread or swarm in or over in a troublesome manner
a neighborhood infested with crime
shark-infested waters
2
: to live in or on as a parasite
horses infested with worms
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