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
Students at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff have been treated for rabies exposure after a dormitory became infested with bats.
—
Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 15 Oct. 2024
Tenants in the apartments, as well as years of inspection reports and lawsuits, say that neglect by the properties’ owners left the buildings infested with mold and rodents, often lacking heat and sagging from water leaks and faulty infrastructure.
—Nick Coltrain, The Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2024
All the furniture inside was either destroyed or infested with maggots.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 8 Oct. 2024
Items deeply infested with mold, such as drywall or other soft materials, will probably have to be discarded.
—George Petras, USA TODAY, 1 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for infest 
Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 15 Oct. 2024
Tenants in the apartments, as well as years of inspection reports and lawsuits, say that neglect by the properties’ owners left the buildings infested with mold and rodents, often lacking heat and sagging from water leaks and faulty infrastructure.
—Nick Coltrain, The Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2024
All the furniture inside was either destroyed or infested with maggots.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 8 Oct. 2024
Items deeply infested with mold, such as drywall or other soft materials, will probably have to be discarded.
—George Petras, USA TODAY, 1 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for infest
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'infest.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near infest
Cite this Entry
“Infest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infest. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.
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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