freeloaders

plural of freeloader
as in parasites
a person who is supported by or seeks support from another without making an adequate return a freeloader who apparently intends to live off of his long-suffering parents forever

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of freeloaders Hookworms are freeloaders that live at the host’s expense inside their gut, drinking about two drops of blood per day. Jay Kakade august 05, Refractor, 5 Aug. 2026 The wide-open scam enriched Haitian freeloaders as Bonheur personally netted a million bucks in just two years after Joe Biden rang the dinner bell for every grifter in the Third World. Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 7 July 2026 Allied participation should likewise be expanded so that deterrence is shared rather than carried by Washington alone for the benefit of freeloaders who consume Middle Eastern hydrocarbons and fertilizers. Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 That will weed out the frauds, freeloaders and slumlords. Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Mar. 2026 Under Bolsonaro, state funding dried up, and the government painted artists as freeloaders wasting taxpayer money. Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2026 Campillo objected to that rationale, contending residents of nearby cities shouldn’t be treated the same as tourists or characterized as rich freeloaders for visiting Balboa Park as non-residents of San Diego. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for freeloaders
parasites
Noun
  • The parasites have performed well under lab conditions but transitions to practical application must be handled with extreme care.
    Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Grooming can help remove parasites, improve hygiene and reinforce social bonds.
    Cyril Grueter, Scientific American, 8 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Freeloaders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freeloaders. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on freeloaders

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster