parasitized

/ˈpɛrəsaɪtaɪzd/
adjective
  1. Infected or infested with a parasite (an organism that lives on or inside another and feeds on it).
    • Veterinarians treated the parasitized dog with a special medication.
    • The parasitized fish had visible worms under its skin.
    • Many parasitized plants show stunted growth and yellow leaves.
  2. Figuratively, exploited or taken advantage of by someone who relies on others without giving back.
    • The community was parasitized by corrupt officials who drained its resources.
    • She finally left the parasitized relationship where her partner only took and never gave.
    • The small business felt parasitized by large corporations that copied their ideas.
verb
  1. Past tense of parasitize: to infect or infest with a parasite.
    • In the experiment, the scientist parasitized the host cells with the organism.
    • The fungus parasitized the tree, slowly killing it from the inside.
    • The tick parasitized the deer, feeding on its blood for days.
  2. Past tense of parasitize: to exploit or live off someone or something in a harmful way.
    • He parasitized his friend's generosity until the friendship ended.
    • The scammer parasitized the elderly woman's savings for years.
    • That company parasitized the open-source project without contributing anything back.
What does "parasitized" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean