verb
infect
ihn-FEHKT
verb
1
To pass a disease-causing germ or virus into a person, animal, or plant.
"The mosquito bite infected him with malaria."
"One sick worker infected half the office within a week."
2
To spread a feeling or attitude to other people.
"Her enthusiasm for the project infected the whole team."
How to Use Infect
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo pass on something harmful (a disease) or, more loosely, to spread a mood or feeling to others.
Common pairings
infect with a virus
infect others
enthusiasm infected
Word Forms
infected past tense, infects singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “infect”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The mosquito bite _____ him with malaria.
Etymology
From Latin infectus, past participle of inficere, "to dye, taint, spoil."