infect

verb
UK: /ɪnˈfekt/
US: /ɪnˈfekt/

  1. To give someone a disease.

    1. The flu can infect many people quickly.
    2. Unwashed hands can easily infect someone with germs and bacteria.

  2. To affect something negatively, like a computer with a virus or a relationship with distrust.

    1. A virus can infect your computer easily.
    2. Their constant arguing began to infect their friendships and family gatherings.

  3. To influence someone with your own feelings or ideas.

    1. Her smile can infect anyone with happiness.
    2. The leader's enthusiasm seemed to infect the entire team, boosting morale.

Synonyms

transmit taint influence affect contaminate
infect adjective

  1. Relating to infection.

    1. There is an infect risk in this situation.
    2. The infect agents quickly spread throughout the patient's body.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "infect" in English means: To give someone a disease., To affect something negatively, like a computer with a virus or a relationship with distrust., To influence someone with your own feelings or ideas..

The phonetic transcription of "infect" is /ɪnˈfekt/ in British English and /ɪnˈfekt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "infect": transmit, taint, influence, affect, contaminate.

Example usage of "infect": "The flu can infect many people quickly.". More examples on the page.