invade
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
to enter a country or region with an army in order to take control of it.
to enter a territory by force with an armed military presence, typically for the purpose of occupation or conquest.
Simple“The army planned to invade the neighbouring country at dawn.”
In context“Historians still debate the strategic blunders that occurred when the coalition forces decided to invade the mountainous region during the height of winter.”
UsageThis is a transitive verb and requires a direct object representing the place being entered.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
to enter a place or a situation where you are not wanted, or to disturb someone's private life.
to encroach upon or violate a person's private space, rights, or personal life in an unwelcome manner.
Simple“I am sorry to invade your privacy, but I really need to talk to you.”
In context“The celebrity complained that the paparazzi continued to invade her personal space despite her repeated requests for boundaries.”
UsageCommonly used with abstract nouns like 'privacy' or 'space'.
- 03 C1 Advanced
to enter or spread through a place in large numbers, like insects or a disease.
to spread through or over a location in large, harmful, or intrusive numbers; often used for pests or biological agents.
Simple“The garden was invaded by locusts that ate all the crops.”
In context“The aggressive species of weed began to invade the local wetlands, threatening the delicate balance of the native ecosystem.”
Synonyms
From Latin invādō (“enter, invade”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.