Skip to main content
PlainSpell

parasite

par·a·site/ˈpæɹəˌsaɪt/noun, verb

parasite is spelled P-A-R-A-S-I-T-E: 8 letters and 3 syllables (par·a·site). It appears 3.2 times per million words in written English, the 14,731st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, parasite means “An organism that lives on or in another organism of a different species, deriving benefit from living on or in that other organism, while not…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of parasite is parasites.

How many letters and syllables are in parasite?

Letters8: P-A-R-A-S-I-T-E
Syllables3: par·a·site
In writing3.2 times per million words; the 14,731st most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Same letters

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is parasite?

Parasite appears 3.2 times per million words in written English, the 14,731st most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce parasite?

  • UK /ˈpæɹəˌsaɪt/
  • US /ˈpæɹəˌsaɪt/
  • US /ˈpɛɹəˌsaɪt/

Parasite has 3 syllables, split par·a·site in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-parasite.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with parasite?

No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as parasite (/æɹəsaɪt/).

Spelled with the same letters in another order: aspirate.

Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).

Forms of parasite

  • parasites plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • parasiting participle, present
  • parasited participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does parasite mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    An organism that lives on or in another organism of a different species, deriving benefit from living on or in that other organism, while not contributing towards that other organism sufficiently to cover the cost to that other organism.

    Lice, fleas, ticks, and mites are widely spread parasites.

  2. 2

    informalAn internal parasite that is an animal or protist.

  3. 3

    derogatoryA person who lives on other people's efforts or expense and gives little or nothing back.

  4. 4

    derogatoryA sycophant or hanger-on.

  5. 5

    A climbing plant which is supported by a wall, trellis etc.

  6. 6

    A retainer or companion of an ancient Celtic warrior, who praised him in song or poetry at gatherings; a bard.

  7. 7

    A component of a composite aircraft which is carried aloft and air-launched by a larger carrier aircraft or mother ship to support the primary mission of the carrier; a parasite aircraft.

  8. 8

    An isolated (FSDU) (freestanding display unit )

    parasite display

verb

  1. 1

    rareTo parasitize.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Parasite in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchparasite, profiteur (useless person who always relies on other…)
GermanParasit (useless person who always relies on other…), Schmarotzer ((biology) organism that exists by stealing…)
Portugueseparasita (useless person who always relies on other…), verme ((biology) organism that exists by stealing…)
Spanishparásito (useless person who always relies on other…)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does parasite come from?

From Middle French parasite, from Latin parasitus, from Ancient Greek παράσιτος (parásitos, “person who eats at the table of another”), from noun use of adjective meaning "feeding beside", from παρά (pará, “beside”) + σῖτος (sîtos, “food”).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after parasite