epidemic 1 of 2

noun

Definition of epidemicnext
1
as in pandemic

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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
But health experts say lenacapavir has the power not just to protect individuals but potentially even turn the tide of the HIV epidemic globally because of its long-lasting effects. — ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026 Murray Woodard, the director for Jackson County’s COMBAT program, said in an editorial for The Star that the public safety effort began to fight substance use and violence stemming from the 1980s drug epidemic. — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 28 Oct. 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
  • In any case, theatrical releases or (re-releases) of popular TV shows are all gravy for cinema operators, who are enjoying the biggest year at the box office since the onset of the pandemic.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The share peaked at 34 percent during the pandemic before dipping slightly, but by 2025 had risen again to 33 percent, nearly matching pandemic-era levels.
    — Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of pandemic
Noun
  • The wall itself appears almost entirely black, formed from volcanic basalt shaped by centuries of eruptions and ancient lava flows.
    — Avantika Chaturvedi, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Before Brunson’s eruption, Towns scored 14 first-quarter points to keep the Knicks alongside Cleveland.
    — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of eruption
Adjective
  • Symptoms can appear between two and 21 days after exposure, and people are generally not infectious before symptoms begin.
    — Olayinka Stephen Ilesanmi, The Conversation, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Viral particles can spread through the air and remain infectious for up to two hours, even after an infected person leaves the area.
    — Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of infectious
Noun
  • With the plague gone, the musician entered a period of reflection.
    — Natalia Cano, Billboard, 3 Nov. 2026
  • After contracting the plague, he was banished to a cave, where a dog brought him bread and healed his wounds by licking them.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of plague
Noun
  • The explosion killed him and fourteen others in his vicinity, as well as the assassin, and injured another forty-three.
    — Sonia Gandhi, Vanity Fair, 10 Nov. 2026
  • That prompted an explosion of vape shops, convenience stores and gas stations that sold hemp, with no regulations on the products or the age of consumers.
    — Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 10 Nov. 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
  • The breaking up of material beliefs may seem to be famine and pestilence, want and woe, sin, sickness, and death, which assume new phases until their nothingness appears.
    — Kim Crooks Korinek, Christian Science Monitor, 18 May 2026
Definition of pestilence
Noun
  • Both artists have seen their careers reach a palpable upswing over the last year.
    — Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Nimesh Patel’s stock in comedy has been on an upswing lately.
    — Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of upswing
Noun
  • Credit default swap price increases In the last month, the credit default swap price for CoreWeave is up 50%.
    — Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026
  • That represents a substantial increase in output without adding unnecessary mass.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 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 13 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on epidemic

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about epidemic

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