infect

verb in·fect \ in-ˈfekt \

Updated on: 12 May 2018

Definition of infect

transitive verb

1 : to contaminate with a disease-producing substance or agent (such as bacteria)

2 a : to communicate a pathogen or a disease to

b of a pathogenic organism : to invade (an individual or organ) usually by penetration

c of a computer virus : to become transmitted and copied to (a device, such as a computer)

3 a : contaminate, corrupt

the inflated writing that infects such stories

b : to work upon or seize upon so as to induce sympathy, belief, or support

trying to infect their salespeople with their enthusiasm

—

infector

play \in-ˈfek-tər\ noun

See infect defined for English-language learners

See infect defined for kids

Examples of infect in a Sentence

If you're sick you should stay home to avoid infecting other people in the office.
The virus has infected many people.
They were unable to prevent bacteria from infecting the wound.
Her enthusiasm has infected everyone.
The virus has infected many computers.
All the computers in the office were infected by the same virus.

Recent Examples of infect from the Web

Now, here is a clear sign that your system has been infected.

— kim komando, Fox News, "7 clear-cut signs you've been hacked," 5 May 2018
Now, here is a clear sign that your system has been infected.

— kim komando, USA TODAY, "7 clear-cut signs you've been hacked," 4 May 2018
So far, 121 people have been infected with E. coli in 25 states, the CDC announced today.

— alessandra potenza, The Verge, "Romaine lettuce from Arizona has an E. coli problem, but the good news is the harvest there is over," 2 May 2018
That test could, for example, identify if someone is infected with Zika or dengue virus, which have similar symptoms.

— the washington post, OregonLive.com, "Bill Gates calls on US to lead fight against a pandemic that could kill 33 million," 27 Apr. 2018
The samples that had been infected with HPV glowed; the healthy ones didn’t.

— megan molteni, WIRED, "A New Startup Wants to Use Crispr to Diagnose Disease," 26 Apr. 2018
And despite what many believe, their fear of being infected with melanin wasn’t limited to that of blacks.

— michael harriot, The Root, "New Study Shows White People Don’t Like Living Near Black People; Captain Obvious Declines Comment," 25 Apr. 2018
In 2015, Chipotle Mexican Grill, a restaurant chain popular for its promise to offer high-quality and sustainably sourced food, found its reputation tarnished after 60 people from 14 states were infected with E. coli.

— BostonGlobe.com, "CDC says consumers should throw out bagged romaine lettuce amid E. coli outbreak," 20 Apr. 2018
As of Wednesday, the CDC reported 53 people were infected with the outbreak strain.

— lena h. sun, Philly.com, "E. coli outbreak warning expands to all romaine lettuce," 20 Apr. 2018

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