Synonyms of infect

infect

verb

as in to poison

to pass something harmful (such as a disease) to someone or something else

If you come to work when you're sick, you'll infect everyone in the office.

Related Words

• poison
• contaminate
• spoil
• foul
• give
• corrupt
• transmit
• pollute
• communicate
• impart
• spread
• taint
• convey
• conduct
• defile
• dirty
• transfuse
• soil
• besmirch
• transfer
• sully
• stain
• rot
• smudge
• blacken
• befoul
• dilute
• foul up
• muddy
• disseminate
• adulterate
• propagate
• mire
• smirch
• diffuse
• doctor
• water down
• grime
• begrime
• broadcast
• hand down
• hand on
• deliver
• hand over
• turn over
• surrender

Dissimilar Words

• sterilize
• purify
• catch
• disinfect
• come down (with)
• clean
• contract
• sanitize
• clarify
• decontaminate
• cleanse
• purge
• clear
• filter
• distill

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of infect

The spread of Ebola beyond Congo has heightened longstanding fears among health authorities about the rapid transmission of the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has infected more than 9,500 people and killed more than 4,600 people. — ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026

Janabi said one of the biggest challenges has been persuading those who are infected to seek medical assistance, adding that some deaths occur in the community outside of health centers. — Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026

Within a day, the researcher began seeing active scanning of the simulated Plex server and eventually successful attempts to infect devices. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026

The meteor rocks also infected Smallville and its population, which gave the show its engine for the case-of-the week format of its early seasons — and brought in a lot of guest stars, one of whom was Amy Adams in Season 1. — Kate Aurthur, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026