in
fect
Third Person
infects
Present Participle
infecting
Past Tense
infected
Past Participle
infected
1
to transmit a disease to a person, animal, or plant
transitive
- Contaminated water sources can infect individuals with waterborne diseases.
- Insects, such as mosquitoes, can infect humans with various diseases through bites.
- Healthcare workers take precautions to avoid infecting patients while providing medical care.
- Last month, the outbreak quickly infected a significant number of people.
- If proper precautions are not taken, the virus will likely infect more individuals.
2
to contaminate air, water, or other substances with harmful bacteria, viruses, or other organisms
transitive
- The factory’s waste was found to infect the nearby river with dangerous chemicals.
- Polluted water can infect entire ecosystems, affecting plants and animals.
- The flu virus can infect the air, spreading quickly in crowded places.
- Poor sanitation can infect the water supply, leading to outbreaks of disease.
- Sewage leaks can infect the groundwater with harmful pathogens.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
3
to spread an emotion, attitude, or quality from one person or thing to another
transitive
- Her laughter infected everyone in the room, and soon they were all giggling uncontrollably.
- The excitement of the crowd infected the players, boosting their performance.
- The child's enthusiasm for the project infected her classmates.
- Fear began to infect the group as the storm grew stronger.
- A sense of urgency infected the workers as the deadline approached.
4
to corrupt or influence someone or something with a particular idea, belief, or ideology, often in a contagious or spreading manner
transitive
- The internet can easily infect young people with harmful ideologies.
- The leader's radical views infected many followers, causing widespread unrest.
- A sense of urgency began to infect the group as the deadline approached.
- His negative outlook on life started to infect his friends, making them feel down as well.
- His skepticism began to infect the whole team, leading to a loss of morale.