infectious en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- (Canada) audio
- /ɪnˈfɛk.ʃəs/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
Borrowed from New Latin īnfectiōsus. By surface analysis, infect + -ious.
Meanings
-
(of an illness) Caused by an agent that enters the host's body (such as a bacterium, virus, parasite, or prion); often, also, transmitted among hosts via any of various routes (for example, contact, droplet-borne, airborne, waterborne, foodborne, fomite-borne, or bloodborne).
More infectious diseases like the flu are usually less potent.
Cancer is usually not infectious.
-
(qualifier:typically of a person) Able to infect others; capable of transmitting pathogens.
I doubt that [saliva] is very infectious ... I don't think this is a normal route of transmission.
1981 December 1, Sue Hyde, quoting Paul Black, “AIDS Update: Little To Cheer About”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 20, page 3:Despite feeling better, the patient is still infectious.
-
(of feelings and behaviour) Spreading quickly from one person to another.
Her enthusiasm for work can be really infectious.
infectious smile
When Maisie first met Danny, she remembers that he had an infectious laugh and a love for music.
2024 November 20, Fortesa Latifi, “How These Men Left the Manosphere — and Why Some May Never”, in Teen Vogue:
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(informal) Memorable and invoking excitement or interest.
Pop music is more infectious than elevator music.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more infectious | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most infectious | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Antonyms
non-infectious · noninfectious
Deriveds
feline infectious peritonitis · agroinfectious · superinfectious · postinfectious · preinfectious · hyperinfectious · pseudoinfectious · neuroinfectious · infectious bovine rhinotracheitis · infectious abortion · reinfectious · infectious disease · infectiousness · uninfectious · infectiously · subinfectious · infectious mononucleosis · infectious agent · toxicoinfectious · infection · bovine infectious petechial fever · parainfectious · infectious disease specialist · antiinfectious
Translations (87)
kk жұқпалы (transmitted between persons as illness) · ms berjangkit (able to infect others) · bg заразен (able to infect others) · nb smittsom (transmitted between persons as illness) · ca infecciós (able to infect others) · ca infecciós ((of feelings and behaviour) spreading quickly between persons) · izh tarttuva (transmitted between persons as illness) · cs infekční (transmitted between persons as illness) · sv smittande ((of feelings and behaviour) spreading quickly between persons) · cs nakažlivý (able to infect others) · fr contagieux (able to infect others) · tl nakahahawa (transmitted between persons as illness) · nb smittsom (able to infect others) · ru зара́зный (transmitted between persons as illness) · cy heintus ((of feelings and behaviour) spreading quickly between persons) · ms berjangkit ((of feelings and behaviour) spreading quickly between persons) · ja 感染性 (transmitted between persons as illness) · mi ngahau ((of feelings and behaviour) spreading quickly between persons) · cy heintus (transmitted between persons as illness) · it infettivo (transmitted between persons as illness) · de ansteckend ((of feelings and behaviour) spreading quickly between persons) · fi tarttuva (transmitted between persons as illness) · cs nakažlivý (informal: memorable and invoking excitement or interest) · fi tartuntavaarallinen (transmitted between persons as illness) · sv infektiös (able to infect others) · bg инфекциозен (able to infect others) · nb smittsom ((of feelings and behaviour) spreading quickly between persons) · ga ionfhabhtaíoch (able to infect others) · it infettivo (able to infect others) · id menular (able to infect others) · bg инфекциозен ((of feelings and behaviour) spreading quickly between persons) · az sirayətedici (transmitted between persons as illness) · bn সংক্রামক (transmitted between persons as illness) · pt contagioso (able to infect others) · es infeccioso (able to infect others) · id viral ((of feelings and behaviour) spreading quickly between persons) · bg заразителен (informal: memorable and invoking excitement or interest) · id infeksius (transmitted between persons as illness) · pl zaraźliwy (transmitted between persons as illness) · es infeccioso (transmitted between persons as illness) · ru инфекцио́нный (transmitted between persons as illness) · ro infecțios (transmitted between persons as illness) · mi hōrapa ((of feelings and behaviour) spreading quickly between persons) · hi संक्रामक (transmitted between persons as illness) · cs nakažlivý (transmitted between persons as illness) · ar مُعْدٍ ((of feelings and behaviour) spreading quickly between persons) · ms berjangkit (transmitted between persons as illness) · nl aanstekelijk ((of feelings and behaviour) spreading quickly between persons) · fr infectieux (transmitted between persons as illness) · ro infecțios (able to infect others) · de infektiös (able to infect others) · tl nakahahawa (able to infect others) · ar مُعْدٍ (able to infect others) · is smitandi ((of feelings and behaviour) spreading quickly between persons) · fi tarttuva (informal: memorable and invoking excitement or interest) · id menular (transmitted between persons as illness) · kk инфекциялық (transmitted between persons as illness) · mi hōrapa (transmitted between persons as illness) · cy heintus (able to infect others) · bn ছোঁয়াচে (transmitted between persons as illness) · az sirayət edən (transmitted between persons as illness) · fr communicatif ((of feelings and behaviour) spreading quickly between persons) · mi hōrapa (able to infect others) · pt infeccioso (able to infect others) · de infektiös (transmitted between persons as illness) · az yoluxucu (transmitted between persons as illness) · eo infekta (transmitted between persons as illness) · fi tartuntavaarallinen (able to infect others) · sv infektiös (transmitted between persons as illness) · pl zakaźny (transmitted between persons as illness) · es contagioso (able to infect others) · it contagioso (able to infect others) · ru зара́зный (able to infect others) · gd gabhaltach (transmitted between persons as illness) · ba йоғошло (transmitted between persons as illness) · ar مُعْدٍ (transmitted between persons as illness) · bg заразен (transmitted between persons as illness) · nl aanstekelijk (informal: memorable and invoking excitement or interest) · pt infeccioso (transmitted between persons as illness) · pl infekcyjny (transmitted between persons as illness) · ga tógálach (transmitted between persons as illness) · pl zaraźliwy ((of feelings and behaviour) spreading quickly between persons) · id infeksius (able to infect others) · fi tarttuva ((of feelings and behaviour) spreading quickly between persons) · mi hopuhopu (transmitted between persons as illness) · ru зарази́тельный ((of feelings and behaviour) spreading quickly between persons) · ca infecciós (transmitted between persons as illness)