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What is another word for Parasitic? – 184 Parasitic Synonyms

    Need another word for Parasitic? Use these synonyms of Parasitic from our thesaurus to say it differently.


    Synonyms & Similar Words

    explosive detrimental harmful destructive deleterious injurious damaging hurtful pernicious baneful baleful malignant nocuous noxious poisonous toxic venomous virulent pestilent pestilential infectious contagious epidemic pathogenic parasitical dependent freeloading sponging scrounging cadging mooching leeching bloodsucking vampiric predatory preying prehensile clinging adhering adherent attached affixed fastened stuck tenacious persistent clinging grasping gripping suffocating stifling choking strangling smothering

    Meaning of Parasitic

    The primary meaning of "Parasitic" refers to an organism that lives on or in another organism, known as the host, and feeds off it, often harming the host in the process.

    Definitions

    • Relating to or denoting an organism that lives on or in another organism, known as the host, and feeds off it, often harming the host in the process.
    • * Relating to or denoting a person who takes advantage of others, especially for personal gain.

    Etymology of Parasitic

    The word "Parasitic" comes from the Greek word "parasitos", meaning "person who eats at another's table", which is derived from "para", meaning "beside" and "sitos", meaning "food".
    The term has been used in English since the 17th century to describe organisms that live on or in other organisms, and later extended to describe people who take advantage of others.

    Example Uses

    • The parasitic wasp lays its eggs inside the body of a caterpillar, where the larvae feed on the caterpillar's internal organs.
    • * Some people view welfare recipients as parasitic, taking advantage of the system without contributing to it.

    Antonyms & Near Antonyms

    mutualistic symbiotic cooperative collaborative reciprocal beneficial helpful advantageous profitable gainful productive contributory supportive assisting aiding altruistic selfless generous philanthropic charitable humane kind benevolent benign harmless innocuous non-toxic non-infectious non-contagious non-pathogenic

    Related Nouns

    parasite host organism creature being entity body creature insect animal plant fungus bacterium virus disease infection infestation epidemic pandemic plague pestilence sickness illness ailment affliction disorder condition syndrome

    Related Verbs

    infect infest invade occupy inhabit reside live feed nourish sustain support attach adhere cling grasp grip suffocate stifle choke strangle smother prey predate exploit take seize capture colonize

    Related Adjectives

    harmful destructive deleterious injurious damaging hurtful pernicious baneful baleful malignant nocuous noxious poisonous toxic venomous virulent pestilent pestilential infectious contagious epidemic pathogenic parasitical dependent freeloading sponging scrounging cadging mooching leeching bloodsucking vampiric predatory preying prehensile clinging adhering adherent attached affixed fastened stuck tenacious persistent