infect — to cause someone to have a disease or illness
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to cause someone to have a disease or illness
Pronunciation (IPA): /ɪnˈfekt/
Example Sentences
- My roommate's obsession with K-pop infected me, and now I know all the dance moves.
- Don't let one rotten apple infect the whole basket.
- Her laughter was so contagious that it infected everyone at the boring meeting.
infect
VERB[/ɪnˈfekt/]
to cause someone to have a disease or illness
A student infects classmates with illness through sneezing particles
Fear can infect an entire crowd faster than facts during a crisis. (IN + effect → infection happens when a harmful EFFECT gets IN and begins spreading through a system, body, or group)
False information infected public opinion, affected trust, and was eventually rejected by experts.
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Latin, originating from the sense of 'to put inside' and evolving to mean 'to introduce pathogens into the body'. The Latin root developed from the literal meaning of placing something within to the medical sense of contaminating or infecting an organism with disease.
Breakdown
in- (in, within) + facere (to make, to do) → infectus (made unclean, corrupted). The prefix in- indicates insertion or internalization, while facere (to make) combines to form the sense of making something unclean or diseased.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My roommate's obsession with K-pop infected me, and now I know all the dance moves.”
“Don't let one rotten apple infect the whole basket.”
“Her laughter was so contagious that it infected everyone at the boring meeting.”
“Make sure to wash your hands to avoid infecting others.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
Want to master 19,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.