26984 words

contagious

5 definitions • 8 examples
1
A contagious disease can be caught by touching someone who has the disease or by touching an infected object, or by an infected person coughing, sneezing, etc. near you:

Examples:

highly contagious The infection is highly contagious, so don't let anyone else use your towel.
contagious disease There were fears the contagious disease could wipe out livestock over a wide area.
2
A contagious person has a disease that they can pass to other people:

Examples:

Keep him out of school until he's not contagious anymore.
The patient is most contagious for the first 3 weeks from their earliest symptom.
3
A contagious feeling spreads quickly among people:

Examples:

Fear is contagious.
His presence was warm and his wit was contagious.
4
(of a disease) able to be caught by touching someone with the disease or something the person has touched or worn, or (of a person) having this type of disease:

Examples:

a highly contagious strain of flu
5
fig. Contagious also means moving easily from one person to another:

Examples:

The mood was contagious, and soon everyone was laughing.

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