parasite
gb/pˈɛɹəsˌaɪt/ us/pˈɛɹəsˌaɪt/
B2
English
~ 7800
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
entity
1
organism living on a host
A small animal or plant that lives on or inside another living thing and takes food from it, usually hurting it.
Usage pattern:
a parasite on [an animal / a plant / a person]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'parasite' to refer to any germ or microbe. In biology, a parasite is specifically an organism that lives on or in a host and gets nutrients from it, while terms like 'bacteria' or 'virus' refer to different kinds of microorganisms, not all of which are parasites.
Synonyms
organism (More general; refers to any living thing, not only those that live on a host.)
|
pathogen (A disease-causing agent; overlaps when the parasite makes the host sick, but not all parasites are pathogens.)
Antonyms
host (The organism that supports and is used by the parasite, the opposite role in the relationship.)
Collocations
intestinal parasite
|internal parasite
|external parasite
|parasitic infection
|host and parasite
|blood parasite
Themes
biology
|health
|environment
|science
|animals
Examples
- The disease is caused by a tiny parasite that lives in the bloodstream.
- Mosquitoes can carry a malaria parasite from one person to another.
- The vet found an intestinal parasite in the dog’s stool and prescribed treatment.
- Some plants act as parasites, stealing water and nutrients from the trees they grow on.
Learner examples
- This fish has a small parasite on its skin.
- The doctor said a parasite was living in his stomach.
- Some parasites live inside the body, and some live on the skin.
- A parasite needs a host to live and grow.
Noun
informal
B2
entity
2
person living off others unfairly
Someone who lives from other people’s money or help and does not give anything back, in a way people think is wrong or selfish.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a parasite on [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'parasite' for any lazy person. In this sense it is usually stronger and more insulting, suggesting someone lives off others over a long time and is seen as morally wrong, not just occasionally lazy.
Synonyms
freeloader (Informal; focuses on someone who always lets others pay or do the work.)
|
sponger (Informal, especially British; suggests someone who regularly borrows or takes money or support.)
|
leech (Strongly negative; emphasizes that the person drains others emotionally or financially.)
Antonyms
contributor (Positive; describes someone who gives effort, money, or help instead of only taking.)
Collocations
a parasite on society
|social parasite
|financial parasite
|political parasite
|live like a parasite
|treat [someone] like a parasite
Themes
social
|insults
|relationships
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He’s no partner, he’s a parasite who lives off her hard work.
- Many people see corrupt officials as parasites on the state budget.
- She refused to support what she called 'parasites on society' who never try to find work.
- They treated him like a parasite, even though he was trying hard to improve his situation.
Learner examples
- His brother does not work and just takes his money, so he calls him a parasite.
- They think the company’s leaders are parasites on the workers.
- She does not want to be a parasite and always tries to pay her own way.
- Some people say rich tax cheats are parasites on society.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
3
optional but non-core sentence element
In grammar studies, a word or phrase that is not needed for the basic sentence to be correct, but can be added for extra meaning.
Usage pattern:
a parasite in [this / that] sentence
Common mistake:
Most learners never meet this specialized sense. It should not be used in everyday speech to talk about grammar; common terms like 'extra phrase' or 'adjunct' are usually clearer.
Synonyms
adjunct (Technical grammar term; more common than 'parasite' in modern descriptions for optional sentence elements.)
Antonyms
complement (In grammar, a word or phrase that is required by another word to make the sentence structure complete, the opposite of an optional element.)
Collocations
linguistic parasite
|parasitic construction
|classify as a parasite
Themes
linguistics
|grammar
|education
|communication
Examples
- In this analysis, the adverbial is treated as a parasite that does not affect the core argument structure.
- Some older grammar theories use the term 'parasite' for elements that attach to a sentence without being selected by the verb.
- The author classifies certain parenthetical phrases as parasites rather than as true complements.
Learner examples
- The teacher said this extra phrase is a parasite in the sentence.
- In this grammar book, a parasite is a word we can remove without breaking the sentence.
- Linguists sometimes call optional parts of a sentence parasites.
Grammar
Dictionary form
parasite
IPA
GB/pˈɛɹəsˌaɪt/
US/pˈɛɹəsˌaɪt/
Syllables & stress
para - site (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (para)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: parasite
- Plural: parasites
Word family
Forms
parasites
noun
Core family
parasitic
adjective C1
Related words
parasitism
noun
parasitize
verb
Advanced or less common
parasitically
adverb
parasitology
noun
parasitologist
noun
Expressions
a parasite on society
1/ə pˈɛɹəsˌaɪt ˈɔn səsˈaɪəti/
idiom
person living off society unfairly
A person or group that takes money or help from society and does not give anything good back.
Examples
- They called the corrupt business owners a parasite on society.
- Many people see large companies that avoid taxes as a parasite on society.
external parasite
1/ɪkstˈɚnəl pˈɛɹəsˌaɪt/
fixed phrase
technical
parasite living on the surface
A parasite that lives on the outside of the body, like on the skin or hair.
Examples
- Fleas and ticks are common external parasites of dogs and cats.
- The textbook explains the difference between internal and external parasites.
intestinal parasite
1/ɪntˈɛstɪnəl pˈɛɹəsˌaɪt/
fixed phrase
technical
parasite living in the intestine
A small animal or germ that lives inside the stomach or intestines of a person or animal and takes food from them.
Examples
- The doctor tested the patient for an intestinal parasite after he reported stomach pain.
- Poor sanitation in the area led to a high rate of intestinal parasites among children.
social parasite
1/sˈoʊʃəl pˈɛɹəsˌaɪt/
fixed phrase
person exploiting others socially
Someone who uses other people or the social system to live, and does not give anything back.
Examples
- He was labeled a social parasite because he refused to work and lived off his relatives.
- In the movie, the main character is a clever social parasite who always finds someone to pay his bills.