WordValeparasite
an organism that lives off a host, harming it
In more detail
1. (noun) an organism that lives on or in another organism and gets food from it, often causing harm
2. (noun) a person who relies on others for money or food without contributing anything in return
Examples
- 1. Mosquitoes are parasites that feed on blood.
- 2. He was accused of being a parasite who never worked and always asked for money.
How to use parasite
Parasite is used literally in biology to describe organisms (like hookworms or lice) that live off a host organism, and figuratively to describe people who exploit others' generosity without reciprocating. The figurative sense is often derogatory and used to criticize freeloaders or those perceived as contributing nothing to society.
Common phrases
- parasitic infection
- intestinal parasite
- social parasite
- parasite on society
- feed like a parasite
- remove parasites
Synonyms
freeloader · sponger · leech · hanger-on · dependent
Opposites
benefactor · contributor · supporter
Word family
parasitic · parasitical · parasitically · parasitism · parasitize
A common mistake
Learners sometimes treat 'parasite' as countable when referring to the biological sense without an article (e.g., 'parasite causes disease' instead of 'a parasite causes disease' or 'parasites cause disease').
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