How to Use parasitic in a Sentence

parasitic

adjective
  • Leeches are parasitic worms, and some feed on the blood of their hosts.
    — oregonlive, 2 Sep. 2019
  • But for the last six weeks, the anti-parasitic has flown off the shelves.
    — Zaz Hollander, Anchorage Daily News, 26 Aug. 2021
  • There are other films that get in your mind and stay there like some parasitic worm.
    — Aidin Vaziri, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 Oct. 2017
  • The parasitic worms can spread through the fecal-oral route.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 26 June 2026
  • From parasitic plants to kelp forests, Botanize!
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Some nasty species live in sand, too, such as parasitic insects called sand fleas.
    — Discover Magazine, 18 May 2018
  • Ivermectin in a pill form is used to treat parasitic worms in humans.
    — Usa Today Network, The Enquirer, 31 Aug. 2021
  • Mange is a skin condition caused by parasitic mites that can lead to hair loss.
    — Kelli Bender, People.com, 16 Apr. 2025
  • One of the biggest threats is the spread north of a parasitic brainworm.
    — Star Tribune, 2 Aug. 2020
  • He was treated for mange [a skin disease caused by parasitic mites].
    — Erin Clements, Peoplemag, 1 Dec. 2023
  • It’s covered in ivy, which isn’t parasitic but is taking light away from the tree.
    — Elena Kadvany, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Feb. 2022
  • The parasitic queen then ran for safety as chaos erupted.
    — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
  • Winter ticks are parasitic mites that can grow over half an inch, and they are known to target moose.
    — Allen Kim, CNN, 25 Feb. 2020
  • Then there are parasitic wasps, which lay their eggs in the galls and go on to devour the entire oak gall wasp.
    — Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
  • Turns out Cordero had a brain-eating parasitic worm living in his left eye.
    — Howard Cohen, miamiherald, 13 Feb. 2018
  • The parasitic fly lays eggs in the open wounds of warm-blooded animals.
    — Lori Ann Larocco, CNBC, 13 Nov. 2025
  • An Australian woman had a parasitic live worm plucked from her brain in a world first.
    — Elizabeth Both, NBC News, 30 Aug. 2023
  • The drug is approved for use against some parasitic worms, head lice and some skin conditions.
    — The Enquirer and Fox 19, The Enquirer, 4 Oct. 2021
  • Dense forests put trees at greater risk for parasitic infection and enable fires to spread faster.
    — The Editorial Board, WSJ, 12 Nov. 2018
  • If that doesn't do the trick, there probably is a parasitic draw somewhere else.
    — Motormouth Bob Weber, Star Tribune, 11 June 2021
  • Bedbugs are small, parasitic insects that feed off the blood of humans.
    — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 1 Apr. 2021
  • Plus how to avoid carrying the parasitic critters home with you.
    — Health.com, 29 Sep. 2017
  • Blood work showed the presence of eosinophils — a type of white blood cell that fights parasitic infections.
    — Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 2 July 2025
  • Tanaka hopes that this kind of research will open up the world of parasitic crickets to the public.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 16 Jan. 2025
  • These tiny, parasitic insects are also unsettling and can be tough to get rid of.
    — USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024
  • Mites in other stages of the life cycle aren’t parasitic, so adults are harmless to humans.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 18 June 2026
  • What’s more, dill flowers are irresistible to parasitic wasps that will feed on squash vine borers.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 May 2026
  • Like many other insects, stink bugs are a favorite target for parasitic wasps.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The plant responds to the parasitic worms with swelling, distorted growth, and dead areas.
    — The Editors Of Organic Life, Good Housekeeping, 1 Mar. 2017
  • The plant responds to the parasitic worm with swellings, distorted growth, and dead areas.
    — The Editors Of Organic Life, Good Housekeeping, 1 Mar. 2017

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'parasitic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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