disinfest

Intermediate (B1)

IPA: /ˌdɪsɪnˈfɛst/

KK: /dɪsɪnˈfɛst/

transitive verb

Definition

To remove pests or vermin from a place or object.

Example

The exterminator was called to disinfest the house of termites.

Tense Forms

Past: disinfested

Past Participle: disinfested

Conversation

I heard you had a pest problem in your house.

Yeah, I found some ants in the kitchen last week.

Have you thought about how to disinfest your home?

I'm looking into it; I definitely want to get rid of them!

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

exterminate

eradicate

remove

Antonyms

infest

harbor

attract

Root Explanation

Disinfest → It is formed from "dis-" (meaning apart) and "infestare" (meaning to infest). The word describes the act of removing or driving away infestations, thus making a space free from pests or unwanted organisms.

Memory Tip

Think of 'dis-' meaning apart and 'infest' meaning to invade or occupy — so disinfest means to drive away invaders.

Visually Confused Words

disnest