1
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
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Recent Examples of epidemic
Saul Anuzis, Boston Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
At the top of the pyramid stood a chief executive officer who marketed the company’s work as the antidote to the opioid epidemic.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 5 Mar. 2026
Byjon Cohen, science.org, 9 Dec. 2024
More than two millennia later, health officials are paying new attention to this old condition for a startling reason: myopia has reached epidemic levels worldwide.
—Gary Stix, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for epidemic
Noun
This backward incentive pushes patients toward the drugs that helped fuel the opioid epidemic in the first place.
—Saul Anuzis, Boston Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
At the top of the pyramid stood a chief executive officer who marketed the company’s work as the antidote to the opioid epidemic.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
But some researchers say the response should not be limited to the epidemic hot spots in big cities.
—Byjon Cohen, science.org, 9 Dec. 2024
More than two millennia later, health officials are paying new attention to this old condition for a startling reason: myopia has reached epidemic levels worldwide.
—Gary Stix, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for epidemic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for epidemic
Noun
-
Tuberculosis cases in the county fell steadily through the 1990s and 2010s, reaching a new low of 193 in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The company blamed the understaffing and dangerous conditions on industry-wide challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Watched behind his closed eyelids the eruption of strange visual forms, shapes of light blooming and disintegrating, blue green and yellow.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Her message endured the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius, centuries of burial beneath volcanic ash, and the slow fade of time itself.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The laughing becomes infectious.—
Omar L. Gallaga,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
In the lead-up to the midterms, Kennedy is reportedly nudging HHS away from attacking infectious-disease policy.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
When viewers first met Robby, the man was a nervous wreck, lost in inescapable memories of the ER’s plague years.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Owls dine on mice, voles, rats, squirrels, rabbits, and other pests that plague gardens and invade homes.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Synagogue blaze investigated as arson THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- An explosion that caused a small fire at the entrance of a synagogue in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam early Friday is being treated as arson, police said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The explosion occurred during an epic battle over building a subway under Wilshire Boulevard from downtown.—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As an example, the celestial dog was thought to aid the sun in causing the intense heat, drought and pestilence of summer.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Famines, pestilence, crusades, and war.—
Greg Grandin
September 23,
Literary Hub,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Kenya’s on a bit of an upswing at the moment.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The upswing in global oil prices could drain political momentum for enforcing stronger sanctions against Russia.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Both variants feature rapid charging technology that remains effective even in harsh climates – at temperatures as low as −22°F, charging time increases by only about three minutes, CarNewsChina reported.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Mar. 2026
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That divergence is largely the result of the fact that the consumer price index weighs housing inflation more heavily, and the rate of increases in rent has slowed alongside the overall economy.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Epidemic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epidemic. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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