infect

[in-fekt]

verb (used with object)

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

2. to affect with disease.

3. to taint or contaminate with something that affects quality, character, or condition unfavorably.

   to infect the air with poison gas.

4. to corrupt or affect morally.

   The news of the gold strike infected him with greed.

5. to imbue with some pernicious belief, opinion, etc.

   Synonyms: corrupt, damage

6. to affect with a computer virus.

   Synonyms: arouse, stir, touch

7. to affect so as to influence feeling or action.

   His courage infected the others.

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

verb (used without object)

1. to become infected.

adjective

1. Archaic.,  infected.

infect

/ ɪnˈfɛkt /

verb

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

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

3. to taint, pollute, or contaminate

4. to affect, esp adversely, as if by contagion

5. computing to affect with a computer virus

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

adjective

1. archaic,  contaminated or polluted with or as if with a disease; infected

Other Word Forms

• infectant adjective
• infectedness noun
• infector noun
• infecter noun
• noninfected adjective
• noninfecting adjective
• preinfect verb (used with object)
• reinfect verb (used with object)
• uninfected adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of infect¹

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 do ¹, make ( fact ) + -tus past participle suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of infect¹

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

Example Sentences

"In China, at a kindergarten, the norovirus, which is usually transmitted from hand to mouth or from surfaces, got into the air and infected half of the class."

From BBC

Then aged 19, she told how she was fitted with an intravenous line which later became infected.

From BBC

If a person with measles is in the same room with 10 unvaccinated people, nine will be infected, researchers estimate.

From Salon

It can spread to humans and pets from the bite of an infected flea or from coming into close contact with, or handling, an infected rodent.

From Los Angeles Times

The disease is extremely uncommon and infects on average seven people in the U.S. per year, according to the CDC.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• affect 
• poison 
• taint 
• touch 

When To Use

What does infect mean?

Infect is a verb that means to taint someone or something with disease-causing germs or to spread a disease to another living thing, as in The doorknob was infected with disease-causing bacteria. Infect can also mean to taint something in a way that negatively affects quality, as in The water was infected with toxic chemicals. Computers and other devices that connect to the internet can also become infected. Instead of a virus of living organisms infecting your computer, though, bits of  code attack your computer system to do harm.Infect is also used figuratively to mean to corrupt something in various ways. It can mean something was corrupted morally, as in The constant flattery caused him to be infected with hubris. Infect can also be used to mean someone has been corrupted by harmful thoughts or beliefs, as in He allowed hatred to infect his mind. The adjective infectious is used to mean something is capable of infecting things, as in Doctors worked to stop the spread of the infectious disease. Infect can be confused with infest, which means to overrun a place or live there in an unwanted manner.Example: Tia stayed home from school so she wouldn’t infect her classmates with the flu.