contagious

play

adjective con·ta·gious \kən-ˈtā-jəs\

Definition of contagious

1 : transmissible by direct or indirect contact with an infected person contagious diseases
2 : bearing contagion contagious people
3 : used for contagious diseases a contagious ward
4 : exciting similar emotions or conduct in others contagious enthusiasm contagious laughter

contagiously

adverb

contagiousness

noun

See contagious defined for English-language learners

See contagious defined for kids

Examples of contagious in a Sentence

It's a highly contagious virus.
I have a cold and I'm still contagious.
I'm sick, but the doctor says I'm not contagious.

Recent Examples of contagious from the Web

Smallpox and other contagious diseases spread over the canal, too.

— lorraine boissoneault, Smithsonian, "Thank the Erie Canal For Spreading People, Ideas and Germs Across America", 3 July 2017
Every page brims with the contagious mania of tech-bro self-improvement.

— stella bugbee, The Cut, "I Hate This Book About Lifehacks, But I Can’t Stop Reading It", 30 June 2017
Bogdan Botezatu, an analyst with Bitdefender, compared the new program to a contagious disease.

— Washington Post, "New highly virulent strain of ransomware cripples networks", 28 June 2017
Bogdan Botezatu, an analyst with Bitdefender, compared the new program to a contagious disease.

— frank bajak, The Seattle Times, "New highly virulent strain of ransomware cripples networks", 27 June 2017
The joy the dog took in her illicit romp was contagious, and didn’t even wane when the animal control officer eventually led her, tail wagging, to a crate.

— richard espinoza, kansascity.com, "A stray pup on a romp brings out the neighborliness of neighbors", 20 June 2017
Using his background in psychology, Kravetz probes how humans’ inherent mimicry and social nature can create dangerously contagious behavior.

— gemma tarlach, Discover Magazine, "What to Read This Summer", 12 June 2017
A.J. Marsden, an assistant professor of human services and psychology at Beacon College, tells me that the fear of flying—like pretty much any emotion—can be contagious.

— katie heaney, The Atlantic, "Is Fear of Flying Contagious?", 12 June 2017
Those with the virus typically remain contagious for a few days, and sometimes much longer, after symptoms disappear, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

— molly sullivan, sacbee.com, "Officials hope norovirus epidemic will slow as schools close for summer", 2 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'contagious'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of contagious

see contagion

NEW!

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Other Medicine Terms

analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, palliate, pandemic

CONTAGIOUS Defined for English Language Learners

contagious

play

adjective

Definition of contagious for English Language Learners

: able to be passed from one person or animal to another by touching
: having a sickness that can be passed to someone else by touching
: capable of being easily spread to others : causing other people to feel or act a similar way

CONTAGIOUS Defined for Kids

contagious

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adjective con·ta·gious \kən-ˈtā-jəs\

Definition of contagious for Students

1 : able to be passed from one individual to another through contact a contagious disease
2 : having a sickness that can be passed to someone else
3 : causing other people to feel or act a similar way a contagious laugh

Medical Dictionary

contagious

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adjective con·ta·gious \-jəs\

Medical Definition of contagious

1: communicable by contact tuberculosis in the contagious stage—compare infectious 2
2: bearing contagion many persons…are contagious long before they are aware of the presence of their disease—Journal of the American Medical Association
3: used for contagious diseases a contagious ward