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Glite Dictionary
parasitically

parasitically

1 8.2
In a way that lives off another person or plant without giving anything back
  • adverb
  • /ˌpærəˈsɪtɪkli/
  • Specialized
: parasitariamente
  • Some weeds grow parasitically, absorbing nutrients from nearby plants.
  • feeds parasitically

Examples

  • He relied parasitically on his friends for support without ever helping them.

  • The North feeds, often parasitically, often unconsciously, off this passionate energy and despair, not least at the heart of the American academy.

    Academic text (2010)

  • Mademoiselle Michonneau, in turn, parasitically thrives on the emotional life of those around her.

    Academic text (1993)

  • Orczy's Sir Percy is an embodiment of the parasitically useless gentleman.

    Academic text (2014)

  • Has it contributed to the revitalization and regeneration of the city center, or has it been imposed as an alien object, parasitically draining away the city's resources?

    Academic text (2009)

  • The stomach wall of a rhinoceros has become pitted from the depredations of bot-fly larvae, which parasitically feed on the rhino tissue.

    Academic text (2006)

  • The mosquito feeds parasitically on the blood of its host.

Antonyms

independent
879 2.3

Not controlled by others

self-reliant
14 4.5

Able to act and decide without help from others

How Parasitic

parasitically
  • Specialized
1 8.2
dependently
1 3.9
independently
109 2.9

Surface Forms

parasitically positive

Morphology

parasitically = parasitic (transparent) = parasite + ic + ally

Standard adverbial formation from the adjective 'parasitic' using the productive suffix '-ally', yielding the meaning 'in a parasitic manner'.

Etymology

Parasitically comes from the same root as parasite, from a Greek idea of someone who ate at another person's table: para- 'beside' and sitos 'food'. So, to act parasitically is to live off or take from others without giving back.