Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense invades, present participle invading, past tense, past participle invaded
1. verb
To invade a country means to enter it by force with an army.
In autumn 1944 the allies invaded the Italian mainland at Anzio and Salerno. [VERB noun]
The Romans and the Normans came to Britain as invading armies. [VERB-ing]
[Also VERB]
Synonyms: attack, storm, assault, capture More Synonyms of invade
2. verb
If you say that people or animals invade a place, you mean that they enter it in large numbers, often in a way that is unpleasant or difficult to deal with.
People invaded the streets in victory processions almost throughout the day. [VERB noun]
Every so often the kitchen would be invaded by ants. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: infest, swarm, overrun, flood More Synonyms of invade
3. to invade someone's privacy
More Synonyms of invade
invade in British English
(ɪnˈveɪd)
verb
1.
to enter (a country, territory, etc) by military force
2. (transitive)
to occupy in large numbers; overrun; infest
3. (transitive)
to trespass or encroach upon (privacy, etc)
4. (transitive)
to enter and spread throughout, esp harmfully; pervade
5.
(of plants, esp weeds) to become established in (a place to which they are not native)
Derived forms
invadable (inˈvadable)
adjective
invader (inˈvader)
noun
Word origin
C15: from Latin invādere, from vādere to go
invade in American English
(ɪnˈveɪd)
verb transitiveWord forms: inˈvaded or inˈvading
1.
to enter forcibly or hostilely; come into as an enemy
2.
to crowd into; throng
tourists invading the beaches
3.
to intrude upon; infringe; violate
to invade someone's privacy
4.
to enter and spread through with harmful effects
a body invaded by disease
verb intransitive
5.
to make an invasion
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈtrespass
Derived forms
invader (inˈvader)
noun
Word origin
ME invaden < L invadere < in-, in + vadere, to come, go: see wade
Examples of 'invade' in a sentence
invade
And that place should be the focus of the entire invading force.
Al Ries and Jack Trout THE 22 IMMUTABLE LAWS OF MARKETING (1993)
There may be an army of them invading us.
George MacDonald The Princess and the Goblin (1872)
It was engineered by the very sources who now say we have to invade this country and that.
The Sun (2011)
It feels as if a government ministry has just abandoned the place in the face of an invading army.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
But it makes no sense because all the killing and dynastic struggles go on between soldiers in the invading forces.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It often invaded the tiny auditorium.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
If we failed, our country would almost certainly be invaded.
The Sun (2010)
They had not invaded anyone's country.
The Sun (2015)
When the collapse involves outside invading forces, does one look primarily at internal decay?
Stearns, Peter N. World History: Patterns of Change and Continuity (1995)
But given enough time, something sinister often invades, and the goals begin to haunt their makers.
Christianity Today (2000)
We won't invade and we almost certainly won't try to take out the atomic research facilities with a famous surgical strike.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The invading police force released another 29 persons who had been held as hostages, four of whom were reported to be critically injured.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Well, how about one that depicts the horrible complications that ensue when an invading force moves into a territory that it doesn't understand?
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
In other languages
invade
British English: invade /ɪnˈveɪd/ VERB
To invade a country means to enter it by force with an army.
The army invaded the area last week.
American English: invade
Arabic: يَغْزُو
Brazilian Portuguese: invadir
Chinese: 入侵
Croatian: napasti
Czech: napadnout cizí zemi
Danish: invadere
Dutch: binnenvallen
European Spanish: invadir
Finnish: hyökätä maahan
French: envahir
German: eindringen
Greek: εισβάλλω
Italian: invadere
Japanese: 侵略する
Korean: 침략하다
Norwegian: invadere
Polish: najechać
European Portuguese: invadir
Romanian: a invada
Russian: вторгаться
Latin American Spanish: invadir
Swedish: invadera
Thai: บุกรุก
Turkish: işgal etmek
Ukrainian: вторгатися
Vietnamese: xâm lược
Chinese translation of 'invade'
invade
(ɪnˈveɪd)
vt
(Mil) 侵略 (qīnlüè)
(fig)[people, animals]涌(湧)入 (yǒngrù)
1 (verb)
Definition
to enter (a country or territory) by military force
In 1944 the allies invaded the Italian mainland.
Synonyms
attack
The infantry's aim was to slow attacking forces.
storm
The refugees decided to storm the embassy.
assault
They would be compelled to assault the capital from the south.
capture
The army has captured a strategic city in the north.
occupy
Alexandretta had been occupied by the French in 1918.
seize
Troops have seized the airport and radio stations.
raid
8th century Vikings set off to raid the coasts of Europe.
overwhelm
violate
conquer
Early in the eleventh century the whole of England was again conquered by the Vikings.
overrun
A group of rebels overran the port.
A military group overran them and took four of them off.
annex
Rome annexed the Nabatean kingdom in 106 AD.
march into
assail
He was assailed by a young man.
descend upon
infringe on
burst in on
make inroads on
2 (verb)
Definition
to enter in large numbers
Every so often the kitchen would be invaded by ants.
Synonyms
infest
Crime and drugs are infesting the inner cities.
swarm
overrun
The flower beds were overrun with weeds.
flood
infect
ravage
beset
pervade
permeate
overspread
3 (verb)
Definition
to disturb (privacy, etc.)
I don't want to invade your privacy, but this is my job.
Synonyms
intrude on
disturb
I didn't want to disturb you.
interrupt
violate
These journalists were violating her family's privacy.
disrupt
Anti-war protests disrupted the debate.
encroach on
trespass on
infringe on
burst in on
obtrude on
4 (verb)
She felt that he had invaded her whole subconscious.
Synonyms
penetrate
A cool breeze penetrated the mosquito netting.
enter
The icicle entered his right hand.
probe
pervade
the corruption that pervades every stratum of society
permeate
The water will eventually permeate through the surrounding concrete.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of annex
Definition
to take without permission
Rome annexed the Nabatean kingdom in 106 AD.
Synonyms
seize,
take over,
appropriate,
acquire,
occupy,
conquer,
expropriate (formal),
arrogate
in the sense of assail
Definition
to attack violently
He was assailed by a young man.
Synonyms
attack,
charge,
assault,
invade,
set about,
beset,
fall upon,
set upon,
lay into (informal),
maltreat,
belabour
in the sense of assault
Definition
to attack violently
They would be compelled to assault the capital from the south.
Synonyms
attack,
charge,
storm,
invade,
fall on,
strike at,
swoop on,
assail
Synonyms of 'invade'
invade
Explore 'invade' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of capture
Definition
to take by force
The army has captured a strategic city in the north.
Synonyms
invade,
take over,
occupy,
seize,
overrun,
take possession of
in the sense of conquer
Definition
to gain possession of (a place) by force or war
Early in the eleventh century the whole of England was again conquered by the Vikings.
Synonyms
seize,
obtain,
acquire,
occupy,
overrun,
annex,
win
in the sense of disrupt
Definition
to interrupt the progress of
Anti-war protests disrupted the debate.
Synonyms
interrupt,
stop,
upset,
hold up,
interfere with,
unsettle,
obstruct,
cut short,
intrude on,
break up or into
in the sense of disturb
Definition
to inconvenience
I didn't want to disturb you.
Synonyms
interrupt,
trouble,
bother,
startle,
plague,
disrupt,
put out,
interfere with,
rouse,
hassle,
inconvenience,
pester,
intrude on,
butt in on
in the sense of enter
The icicle entered his right hand.
Synonyms
penetrate,
get in,
insert into,
pierce,
pass into,
perforate
in the sense of occupy
Definition
to move in and take control of (a country or other place)
Alexandretta had been occupied by the French in 1918.
Synonyms
invade,
take over,
capture,
seize,
conquer,
keep,
hold,
garrison,
overrun,
annex,
take possession of,
colonize,
cybersquat
in the sense of overrun
Definition
to conquer (territory) rapidly by force of numbers
A group of rebels overran the port.A military group overran them and took four of them off.
Synonyms
overwhelm,
attack,
assault,
occupy,
raid,
invade,
penetrate,
swamp,
rout,
assail,
descend upon,
run riot over
in the sense of overrun
Definition
to spread over (a place) rapidly
The flower beds were overrun with weeds.
Synonyms
spread over,
overwhelm,
choke,
swamp,
overflow,
infest,
inundate,
permeate,
spread like wildfire,
swarm over,
surge over,
overgrow
in the sense of permeate
Definition
to pass through or cause to pass through by osmosis or diffusion
The water will eventually permeate through the surrounding concrete.
Synonyms
pervade,
saturate,
charge,
fill,
pass through,
penetrate,
infiltrate,
imbue,
filter through,
spread through,
impregnate,
seep through,
percolate,
soak through,
diffuse throughout
in the sense of pervade
Definition
to spread through or throughout (something)
the corruption that pervades every stratum of society
Synonyms
spread through,
fill,
affect,
penetrate,
infuse,
permeate,
imbue,
suffuse,
percolate,
extend through,
diffuse through,
overspread
Additional synonyms
in the sense of raid
Definition
to make a raid on
8th century Vikings set off to raid the coasts of Europe.
Synonyms
attack,
invade,
assault,
rifle,
forage,
fall upon,
swoop down upon,
reive (dialect)
in the sense of seize
Definition
to take by force or capture
Troops have seized the airport and radio stations.
Synonyms
take by storm,
take over,
capture,
take,
acquire,
occupy,
conquer,
overrun,
annex,
usurp
in the sense of storm
Definition
to attack or capture (a place) suddenly and violently
The refugees decided to storm the embassy.
Synonyms
attack,
charge,
rush,
assault,
beset,
assail,
take by storm
in the sense of violate
Definition
to disturb rudely or improperly
These journalists were violating her family's privacy.