infest
verb
1 infest
Invade in great numbers:
— The roaches infested our kitchen.
synonym: overrun.
Roget 830:
cause pain,
occasion pain,
give pain,
bring pain,
induce pain,
produce pain,
create pain,
inflict pain
etc.
828;
pain,
hurt,
wound.
pinch,
prick,
gripe
etc.
(physical pain)
378;
pierce,
lancinate†,
cut.
hurt the feelings,
wound the feelings,
grate upon the feelings,
grate upon the nerves,
jar upon the feelings;
wring the heart,
pierce the heart,
lacerate the heart,
break the heart,
rend the heart;
make the heart bleed;
tear the heart strings,
rend the heart strings;
draw tears from the eyes.
sadden;
make unhappy
etc.
828;
plunge into sorrow,
grieve,
fash†,
afflict,
distress;
cut up,
cut to the heart.
displease,
annoy,
incommode,
discompose,
trouble,
disquiet;
faze,
feaze†,
feeze [U.S.];
disturb,
cross,
perplex,
molest,
tease,
tire,
irk,
vex,
mortify,
wherret†,
worry,
plague,
bother,
pester,
bore,
pother,
harass,
harry,
badger,
heckle,
bait,
beset,
infest,
persecute,
importune.
wring,
harrow,
torment,
torture;
bullyrag;
put to the rack,
put to the question;
break on the wheel,
rack,
scarify;
cruciate†,
crucify;
convulse,
agonize;
barb the dart;
plant a dagger in the breast,
plant a thorn in one's side.
irritate,
provoke,
sting,
nettle,
try the patience,
pique,
fret,
rile,
tweak the nose,
chafe,
gall;
sting to the quick,
wound to the quick,
cut to the quick;
aggrieve,
affront,
enchafe†,
enrage,
ruffle,
sour the temper;
give offense
etc.
(resentment)
900.
maltreat,
bite,
snap at,
assail;
smite
etc.
(punish)
972.
sicken,
disgust,
revolt,
nauseate,
disenchant,
repel,
offend,
shock,
stink in the nostrils;
go against the stomach,
turn the stomach;
make one sick,
set the teeth on edge,
go against the grain,
grate on the ear;
stick in one's throat,
stick in one's gizzard;
rankle,
gnaw,
corrode,
horrify,
appal†,
appall,
freeze the blood;
make the flesh creep,
make the hair stand on end;
make the blood curdle,
make the blood run cold;
make one shudder.
haunt the memory;
weigh on the heart,
prey on the heart,
weigh on the mind,
prey on the mind,
weigh on the spirits,
prey on the spirits;
bring one's gray hairs with sorrow to the bring one's gray hairs with sorrow to the grave;
add a nail to one's coffin.
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2 infest
Occupy in large numbers or live on a host:
— The Kudzu plant infests much of the South and is spreading to the North.
synonyms: invade, overrun.
3 infest
Live on or in a host, as of parasites.
Moby thesaurus: beset, crawl with, creep with, flood, infiltrate, inundate, invade, overrun, overspread, overswarm, penetrate, permeate, pervade, plague, ravage, swarm, swarm over, swarm with.
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