infect

[ in-fekt ]

/ ɪnˈfɛkt /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR infect ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to affect or contaminate (a person, organ, wound, etc.) with disease-producing germs.

to affect with disease.

to taint or contaminate with something that affects quality, character, or condition unfavorably: to infect the air with poison gas.

to corrupt or affect morally: The news of the gold strike infected him with greed.

to imbue with some pernicious belief, opinion, etc.

to affect with a computer virus.

to affect so as to influence feeling or action: His courage infected the others.

Law. to taint with illegality, or expose to penalty, forfeiture, etc.

verb (used without object)

to become infected.

adjective

Archaic. infected.

Origin of infect

1350–1400; Middle English infecten < Latin infectus (past participle of inficere to immerse in dye, discolor, taint, poison), equivalent to in- in-² + -fec-, combining form of facere to do¹, make (see fact) + -tus past participle suffix

SYNONYMS FOR infect

5 damage, corrupt.

6 touch, stir, arouse.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR infect ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM infect

in·fect·ant, adjective in·fect·ed·ness, noun in·fec·tor, in·fect·er, noun non·in·fect·ed, adjective

non·in·fect·ing, adjective pre·in·fect, verb (used with object) re·in·fect, verb (used with object) un·in·fect·ed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH infect

afflict infect inflict infect infest invest

Words nearby infect

infatuate, infatuated, infatuation, infauna, infeasible, infect, infected abortion, infectee, infection, infection immunity, infection-exhaustion psychosis

Example sentences from the Web for infected

Those who served abroad were treated with suspicion that they had been infected by European diplomacy.

U.S. Embassies Have Always Been for Sale |William O’Connor |January 2, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Egypt has a comparatively low number of HIV cases compared to the rest of Africa, with just 11,000 infected people nationwide.

Sisi Is Persecuting, Prosecuting, and Publicly Shaming Egypt’s Gays |Bel Trew |December 30, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
By May 27, five people had succumbed to the virus and 16 more were infected.

Jail Threats for Sierra Leone Ebola Victims’ Families |Abby Haglage |December 10, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
For his part, Logan now believes that more than 95 percent of cone bearing trees are infected.

What It Takes to Kill a Grizzly Bear |Doug Peacock |November 23, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

“We are it,” Davis says when I ask if the military has a plan for how to get an infected American service member out of Liberia.

The American Ebola Rescue Plan Hinges on One Company. Meet Phoenix. |Abby Haglage |November 22, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The ships at anchor in Carlisle Bay were, for the most part, infected with this disease.

A History of Epidemics in Britain (Volume I of II) |Charles Creighton
St. Paul—was infected with the Hebrew method of interpretation.

Inspiration and Interpretation |John Burgon
It was impossible to go near him—all around him was infected.

Early Western Travels 1748-1846, v. 27 |Various
Such was ever his fury in an engagement that it infected and inspired his followers.

The Sea-Hawk |Raphael Sabatini
The leaven of sin that touched humanity at the first has infected the whole.

The Parables of Our Lord |William Arnot

British Dictionary definitions for infected

infect

/ (ɪnˈfɛkt) /

verb (mainly tr)

to cause infection in; contaminate (an organism, wound, etc) with pathogenic microorganisms

(also intr) to affect or become affected with a communicable disease

to taint, pollute, or contaminate

to affect, esp adversely, as if by contagion

computing to affect with a computer virus

mainly international law to taint with crime or illegality; expose to penalty or subject to forfeiture

adjective

archaic contaminated or polluted with or as if with a disease; infected

Derived forms of infect

infector or infecter, noun

Word Origin for infect

C14: from Latin inficere to dip into, stain, from facere to make

Medical definitions for infected

infect

[ ĭn-fĕkt′ ]

v.

To contaminate with a pathogenic microorganism or agent.

To communicate a pathogen or disease to another organism.

To invade and produce infection in an organ or body part.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

infect

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

adjective

Origin of infect

SYNONYMS FOR infect

OTHER WORDS FROM infect

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH infect

Words nearby infect

Example sentences from the Web for infected

British Dictionary definitions for infected

verb (mainly tr)

adjective

Derived forms of infect

Word Origin for infect

Medical definitions for infected

v.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

infect

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

adjective

Origin of infect

SYNONYMS FOR infect

OTHER WORDS FROM infect

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH infect

Words nearby infect

Words related to infected

Example sentences from the Web for infected

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for infected

verb (mainly tr)

adjective

Derived forms of infect

Word Origin for infect

Medical definitions for infected

v.

British Dictionary definitions for infected