superbug
noun
su·per·bug
ˈsü-pər-ˌbəg 
: a pathogenic microorganism and especially a bacterium that has developed resistance to the medications normally used against it
Examples of superbug in a Sentence
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The everyday painkillers were found to fuel the superbugs that contribute to antibiotic resistance.
—
Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Beyond AlphaFold, researchers at MIT used generative AI to design two entirely new antibiotic candidates capable of killing drug-resistant gonorrhoea and MRSA superbugs in lab and animal tests.
—Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
While deaths associated with bacterial superbugs are higher than those linked with fungi, there are hundreds of antibiotics available to treat bacteria, while there are only about 17 antifungal drugs currently in use, according to the CDC.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 7 May 2025
Many common antimicrobial drugs are ineffective against superbugs, partly due to the overuse of antibiotics in healthcare settings.
—Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
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Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Beyond AlphaFold, researchers at MIT used generative AI to design two entirely new antibiotic candidates capable of killing drug-resistant gonorrhoea and MRSA superbugs in lab and animal tests.
—Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
While deaths associated with bacterial superbugs are higher than those linked with fungi, there are hundreds of antibiotics available to treat bacteria, while there are only about 17 antifungal drugs currently in use, according to the CDC.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 7 May 2025
Many common antimicrobial drugs are ineffective against superbugs, partly due to the overuse of antibiotics in healthcare settings.
—Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for superbug
Cite this Entry
“Superbug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/superbug. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
superbug
noun
su·per·bug
ˈsü-pər-ˌbəg
: a pathogenic microorganism and especially a bacterium that has developed resistance to the medications normally used against it
The rise of superbugs that can survive multiple antibiotics—such as MRSA, the notorious "flesh-eating bacterium"—has turned once-trivial infections into persistent problems.—Valerie Ross, Discover
Valerie Ross, DiscoverLove words? Need even more definitions?
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