flea-bitten
Worn and neglected
Flea-bitten describes something shabby, run-down, or inferior—typically lodgings or establishments: a flea-bitten motel on the edge of town.
The image is of a place so neglected that fleas have taken up residence.
For horses, flea-bitten describes a white or gray coat speckled with reddish-brown spots that resemble flea bites.
Infested with parasites
- swarmingGathering in large numbers
- teemingAbundantly full of
- crawlingMoving on hands, knees
- overrunSpread throughout uncontrollably
riddled · parasitic · mangy · lousy · buggy · scabby · itchy · scratching
Ruined through neglect
- decrepitWorn by age
- ramshackleBadly deteriorated from neglect
- run-downDeteriorated from neglect
- seedyRundown and disreputable
dingy · squalid · tumbledown · scruffy · grungy · beat-up · tatty · worn-out
verminous
Infested with parasites
overrun · riddled · parasitic · mangy · lousy · buggy · scabby · itchy · scratching · irritated
dilapidated
Ruined through neglect
- decrepitWorn by age
- ramshackleBadly deteriorated from neglect
- run-downDeteriorated from neglect
seedy · dingy · squalid · tumbledown · scruffy · grungy · beat-up · tatty · worn-out · threadbare
abandoned
Left behind completely
disused · forlorn · desolate · unattended · overgrown · ruinous · crumbling · decayed · weathered · dusty
plague
Deadly epidemic disease
- typhusLouse-transmitted bacterial infection
- infectionPathogen invasion causing illness
- feverElevated body temperature
sickly · contagion · pestilent · unhealthy · unsanitary · contaminated · septic · pathogen · zoonotic · epidemic
flea-bittenpristine
Pure and untouched
immaculate · new · spotless · well-maintained · brand-new