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What is the difference between infest and overrun?

infest | overrun |

As verbs the difference between infest and overrun

is that infest is to inhabit a place in unpleasantly large numbers while overrun is to defeat an enemy and invade in great numbers, seizing his positions conclusively.

As a adjective infest

is (obsolete) mischievous; hurtful; harassing.

As a noun overrun is

an instance of overrunning.

infest

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • To inhabit a place in unpleasantly large numbers
  • Insects are infesting my basement!
  • (pathology, of a parasite) To invade a host plant or animal
  • Synonyms

    *

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (obsolete) mischievous; hurtful; harassing
  • (Spenser)

    Anagrams

    * *

    overrun

    English

    Verb

    (transitive)
  • To defeat an enemy and invade in great numbers, seizing his positions conclusively.
  • To infest, swarm over, flow over.
  • The vine overran''' its trellis; the field is '''overrun with weeds.
  • * Spenser
  • those barbarous nations that overran the world
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=November 7, author=Matt Bai, title=Winning a Second Term, Obama Will Confront Familiar Headwinds, work=New York Times citation
  • , passage=As President Obama turns his attention once again to filling out a cabinet and writing an Inaugural Address, this much is clear: he should not expect to bask in a surge of national unity, or to witness a crowd of millions overrun the Mall just to say they were there.}}
  • To run past; to run beyond.
  • The athlete overran the finish line and kept going.
    One line overruns another in length.
  • * Bible, 2. Sam. xviii. 23
  • Ahimaaz run by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi.
  • To continue for too long.
  • The performance overran by ten minutes, which caused some people to miss their bus home.
  • (printing) To carry (some type, a line or column, etc.) backward or forward into an adjacent line or page.
  • To go beyond; to extend in part beyond.
  • In machinery, a sliding piece is said to overrun its bearing when its forward end goes beyond it.
  • To abuse or oppress, as if by treading upon.
  • * Spenser
  • None of them the feeble overran .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An instance of overrunning
  • * 2013 June 18, , " Protests Widen as Brazilians Chide Leaders," New York Times (retrieved 21 June 2013):
  • Some of the stadiums being built for the World Cup soccer tournament, scheduled for next year, have also been criticized for delays and cost overruns , and have become subjects of derision as protesters question whether they will become white elephants.
  • The amount by which something overruns
  • ''At least this year's overrun isn't as unmanageable as last year!