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epidemic 1 of 2

noun

Definition of epidemicnext
1
as in pandemic

Related Words

Relevance
2
as in eruption

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

epidemic

2 of 2

adjective

ˌe-pə-ˈde-mik How to pronounce epidemic (audio)
as in infectious
exciting a similar feeling or reaction in others the little girl's giggles were epidemic, and soon the entire gathering was laughing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of epidemic
Noun
Many came from Lee County, which is both where the book is set and one of the counties most ravaged by the opioid epidemic. — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026 In 2011, the World Health Organization appointed Peng a Goodwill Ambassador for tuberculosis and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2026
Adjective
Autism, insulin resistance, and autoimmune diagnoses have reached epidemic proportions. — David Ferry, Wired News, 10 Dec. 2025 From Breath To Burnout The early identification of imbalances caused by chronic stress resonates deeply in our current health climate, where burnout, emotional exhaustion and cognitive fatigue are silently epidemic. — Trisha Swift, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for epidemic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for epidemic
  1. pandemic
  2. eruption
  3. infectious
  4. plague
  5. explosion
  6. pestilence
  7. upswing
  8. increase
Noun
  • But more recently, many EA thinkers have focused their concerns on the possibility of existential risks from advanced AI and other potential societal-scale disasters such as nuclear war, climate change and pandemics.
    — Katie McQue, NPR, 26 Sep. 2026
  • In one of the few wins for the defense, jurors found the state didn’t prove that Facebook made false claims about removing harmful content, including misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic.
    — Mikella Schuettler, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of pandemic
Noun
  • If the caldera had collapsed after the eruption, the landslide deposits should lie on top of the pyroclastic layers.
    — Yook Ji Hun, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Charred to a crisp during Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in AD 79, hundreds of papyrus scrolls lie tucked away unread in Italy’s National Library of Naples.
    — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of eruption
Adjective
  • But, when Dovner questioned him lightly about the details, the man’s infectious laughter made Gleb even more convinced that such trifles were hardly worth mentioning at all.
    — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2026
  • On the other sideline, there were tons of smiles, and none more infectious than that of Robinson, who finished the game with 194 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
    — Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of infectious
Noun
  • After the plague arrived in South Dakota in 2005, the acreage occupied by prairie dogs near Badlands National Park shrunk by three quarters within a decade, despite concomitant efforts to rein in the disease.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Let’s hope that Rooney’s successful effort encourages other prominent authors to speak out against the plague of data centers sweeping the land.
    — Dan Sheehan, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of plague
Noun
  • There’s been an explosion that has caused a giant ice shelf dubbed Judy, one roughly the size of Boston, to detach.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Blowing up a nuclear bomb in space would first destroy or disable any nearby satellites, and then the damage would spread as electronics-frying energetic particles from the explosion contaminated huge swaths of orbit.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of explosion
Noun
  • As famine, war, pestilence and death galloped through, religious thought had been taking on an apocalyptic and self-abnegatory fervor.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 July 2026
  • Some of those tombstones explicitly referred to a pestilence as the cause of death.
    — Marc Zimmer, The Conversation, 12 May 2026
Definition of pestilence
Noun
  • History shows that a sharp upswing in yields should be just as concerning for investors as any multiyear highs.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
  • After borrowing heavily in the 2010s to build its port and rail networks, Fortescue rode the commodity upswing.
    — Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of upswing
Noun
  • After many farmers protested the increases, Lamont canceled the revaluation in January and assembled the working group to look into the issue.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Fleek argues the rule could send more overstock and customer returns toward resale, though its report does not show that such an increase has happened yet.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of increase

Browse Nearby Words

epicures
epidemic
epidemics
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Cite this Entry

“Epidemic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epidemic. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on epidemic

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about epidemic

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