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parásito

pah-RAH-see-toh/paˈɾasito/

parasite

Also: bug, pest
NounmB1
A tiny green tick attached to a leaf, showing a biological parasite.

📝 In Action

El médico dijo que el niño tiene un parásito intestinal.

A2

The doctor said the child has an intestinal parasite.

Muchas enfermedades son causadas por parásitos que viven en el agua.

B1

Many diseases are caused by parasites that live in the water.

Este champú es muy efectivo para eliminar los parásitos del cabello.

B1

This shampoo is very effective for eliminating hair parasites.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • microbio (microbe)
  • huésped (host (contextual connection))

Common Collocations

  • parásito intestinal – intestinal parasite
  • eliminar parásitos – to eliminate parasites

freeloader

Also: parasite, moocher
NounmB2informal
A person relaxing in a hammock while others work hard in the background.

📝 In Action

No seas un parásito y busca un trabajo para ayudar con los gastos.

B1

Don't be a freeloader and find a job to help with the expenses.

Él ha vivido como un parásito de su familia toda la vida.

B2

He has lived like a parasite off his family his whole life.

La película trata sobre una familia que actúa como un parásito en una casa rica.

B2

The movie is about a family that acts like a parasite in a wealthy house.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • gorrón (freeloader)
  • aprovechado (taker/exploiter)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • parásito social – social parasite
  • vivir como un parásito – to live like a parasite

parasitic

Also: parasitical
AdjectivemC1formal
A vine tightly coiled around a tree trunk, illustrating parasitic behavior.

📝 In Action

El hongo tiene un comportamiento parásito.

C1

The fungus has a parasitic behavior.

Ciertas plantas tienen raíces de tipo parásito.

C1

Certain plants have parasitic-type roots.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • parasitario (parasitic)

Common Collocations

  • comportamiento parásito – parasitic behavior

Vocabulary Collections

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "parásito" in Spanish:

freeloader→moocher→parasite→parasitic→parasitical→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: parásito

Question 1 of 3

Which of these is the most likely 'parásito' in a biological sense?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
parasitar(to parasitize / live off of) — Verb
parasitario(parasitic) — Adjective
parasitismo(parasitism) — Noun
desparasitar(to deworm / remove parasites) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
depósitopropósitotránsito
📚 Etymology▼

From Latin 'parasitus', which comes from the Greek 'parasitos'. It literally meant 'someone who eats at another person's table' (para = beside, sitos = food).

First recorded: 16th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: parasiteFrench: parasiteItalian: parassita

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'parásito' always an insult when used for people?

Yes, it is a very negative term. It implies the person is taking advantage of others in a harmful or lazy way.

Can I use 'parásito' to mean a computer virus?

Not usually. In Spanish, we typically use 'virus' or 'malware'. However, you might hear 'archivo parásito' in very technical programming contexts, but it's rare.

What is the verb for 'to get rid of parasites'?

The verb is 'desparasitar'. It's very common to use this when taking pets to the vet for their 'desparasitación' (deworming).