Meaning & use
infectious
Capable of being transmitted as a disease, or spreading quickly from one person to another.
See it in a sentence
The doctor confirmed the illness was infectious and advised the whole family to stay home.
Her infectious laughter soon had everyone in the meeting smiling too.
A note on using this word
For diseases spread through the air or contact, infectious and contagious overlap, but infectious more often describes moods or enthusiasm too.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. adjective
Spreading rapidly among people because it is appealing or exciting, as an attitude or emotion.
His infectious enthusiasm for the project convinced the entire team to work through the weekend.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “infectious”, then compare your use with the examples above.