Synonyms of contagion

contagion

noun

as in virus

sickness that can be passed from one person, plant, or animal to another

The rumors spread like a contagion.

Related Words

• virus
• plague
• fever
• infection
• disease
• germ
• contagious disease
• pandemic
• pestilence
• epidemic
• malady
• illness
• disorder
• dysfunction
• sickness
• blight
• distemper
• ailment
• bug
• contagium
• ail
• pest
• malaise
• infirmity
• ill
• complication
• upset
• attack
• pip
• affection
• condition
• affliction
• trouble
• distemperature
• complaint
• bout
• invalidism
• indisposition
• debility
• unsoundness
• matter
• decrepitude
• feebleness
• spell
• lameness
• invalidity
• unhealthiness
• sickliness
• fit
• debilitation
• unwellness
• frailty
• weakness
• sickishness
• weakliness
• frailness

Dissimilar Words

• antidote
• cure
• panacea
• antivenin
• elixir
• antivenom
• soundness
• robustness
• fitness
• hardiness
• healthiness
• health
• wholesomeness
• heartiness
• wholeness
• shape
• mithridate
• wellness
• cure-all
• lustiness
• fettle

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of contagion

Its crisis – along with those of other property giants – has been at the heart of a wider Chinese real-estate shock that has tested the world’s second-largest economy and threatened to spark a global contagion effect. — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026

Many countries will benefit from similar hedgehog strategies that draw on the technological revolution favoring defense, insulating their territories against contagion. — Mark Leonard, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026

The continued appearance of the virus’ telltale rash in state after state since last year warns of cracks in our once-solid protection, leaving communities vulnerable to other deadly contagions. — Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, 18 Aug. 2026

An emotional contagion like panic is always possible, but Vilhauer does not think most people would react that way even to such paradigm-shifting news as nonhuman intelligence. — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 6 Aug. 2026