invade

[ in-veyd ]
See synonyms for: invadeinvadedinvadinginvader on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),in·vad·ed, in·vad·ing.
  1. to enter forcefully as an enemy; go into with hostile intent: Germany invaded Poland in 1939.

  2. to enter like an enemy: Locusts invaded the fields.

  1. to enter as if to take possession: to invade a neighbor's home.

  2. to enter and affect injuriously or destructively, as disease: viruses that invade the bloodstream.

  3. to intrude upon: to invade the privacy of a family.

  4. to encroach or infringe upon: to invade the rights of citizens.

  5. to permeate: The smell of baking invades the house.

  6. to penetrate; spread into or over: The population boom has caused city dwellers to invade the suburbs.

verb (used without object),in·vad·ed, in·vad·ing.
  1. to make an invasion: troops awaiting the signal to invade.

Origin of invade

1
First recorded in 1485–95; from Latin invādere, from in- in-2 + vādere “to go, walk” (see also wade)

Other words for invade

Other words from invade

  • in·vad·a·ble, adjective
  • in·vad·er, noun
  • qua·si-in·vad·ed, adjective
  • re·in·vade, verb (used with object), re·in·vad·ed, re·in·vad·ing.
  • un·in·vad·a·ble, adjective
  • un·in·vad·ed, adjective

Words Nearby invade

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use invade in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for invade

invade

/ (ɪnˈveɪd) /


verb
  1. to enter (a country, territory, etc) by military force

  2. (tr) to occupy in large numbers; overrun; infest

  1. (tr) to trespass or encroach upon (privacy, etc)

  2. (tr) to enter and spread throughout, esp harmfully; pervade

  3. (of plants, esp weeds) to become established in (a place to which they are not native)

Origin of invade

1
C15: from Latin invādere, from vādere to go

Derived forms of invade

  • invadable, adjective
  • invader, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012