parasitizing

/ˈpɛrəsaɪtaɪzɪŋ/
verb
  1. To live on or inside another organism and get food or energy from it, often harming the host.
    • Certain fungi spend their lives parasitizing trees and slowly weakening them.
    • In the ocean, some small fish survive by parasitizing larger sharks.
    • The tapeworm was parasitizing the cat's intestines, stealing nutrients.
  2. To take advantage of someone or something for personal gain without giving anything in return.
    • He was accused of parasitizing his friend's generosity by always borrowing money and never repaying it.
    • She felt her roommate was parasitizing her kindness by never cleaning or paying for shared expenses.
    • The company was parasitizing the local community by using its resources without creating jobs.
What does "parasitizing" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean