infest

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: in=fest

CIDE DICTIONARY

infest, a. [L. infestus. See Infest, v. t.].

 Mischievous; hurtful; harassing.  Spenser.  [1913 Webster]

infest, v. t. [L. infestare, fr. infestus disturbed, hostile, troublesome; in in, against + the root of defendere: cf. F. infester. See Defend.].

 To trouble greatly by numbers or by frequency of presence; to disturb; to annoy; to frequent and molest or harass; as, fleas infest dogs and cats; a sea infested with pirates.  [1913 Webster]
"To poison vermin that infest his plants."  [1913 Webster]
"These, said the genius, are envy, avarice, superstition, love, with the like cares and passions that infest human life."  [1913 Webster]
"And the cares, that infest the day,
Shall fold their tents, like the Arabs,
And as silently steal away."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

infest, v.tr. (of harmful persons or things, esp. vermin or disease) overrun (a place) in large numbers.

Derivative

infestation n.

Etymology

ME f. F infester or L infestare assail f. infestus hostile

THESAURUS

infest

beset, crawl with, creep with, flood, infiltrate, inundate, invade, overrun, overspread, overswarm, penetrate, permeate, pervade, plague, ravage, swarm, swarm over, swarm with

ROGET THESAURUS

infest

Painfulness

VB cause pain, occasion pain, give pain, bring pain, induce pain, produce pain, create pain, inflict pain, pain, hurt, wound, pinch, prick, gripe, 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, plunge into sorrow, grieve, fash, afflict, distress, cut up, cut to the heart, displease, annoy, incommode, discompose, trouble, disquiet, faze, feaze, feeze, 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, maltreat, bite, snap at, assail, smite, 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 grave, add a nail to one's coffin.