infested

[ in-fes-tid ]

adjective

1. overrun to an unwanted degree or in a troublesome manner by predatory animals or vermin (often used in combination):

   It is so difficult to eradicate cockroaches from an infested area.

   The only unguarded way of escape was through an alligator-infested swamp.

2. filled or riddled with anything undesirable or troublesome (usually used in combination):

   The restaurant sat in an increasingly tourist-infested part of town.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of infest.

Other Words From

• un·in·fest·ed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of infested¹

First recorded in 1890–1900; infest ( def ) + -ed ²( def ) for the adjective senses; infest ( def ) + -ed ¹( def ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

Lice are spread by direct contact with the hair or items that an infested person has used, like hats, combs, brushes, towels, pillows, beds or even stuffed animals.

From Los Angeles Times

The fly species was first found in California in 1960 and has been reintroduced every year since 1966 by infested fruits and vegetables coming into the state.

From Los Angeles Times

In April the ex-president called immigrants “not human.” and last month he called countries originally targeted by his Muslim ban “infested.”

From Salon

A single mum in Kent has said she is in despair after being moved to social housing infested with bedbugs.

From BBC

The suggestion that countries included in the initial Muslim ban are “infested” comes as Trump’s dehumanizing rhetoric against immigrants accelerates.

From Salon

Related Words

• ravaged