PANDEMIC Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

pandemic 1 of 2

noun

Definition of pandemic

as in epidemic

medical an occurrence in which a disease spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people over a wide area or throughout the world The 1918 flu pandemic claimed millions of lives. the AIDS pandemic

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pandemic

2 of 2

adjective

as in widespread

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Dissimilar 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 pandemic

Noun

That hasn’t stopped Republicans from blasting Cooper over releasing 3,500 inmates during the COVID-19 pandemic as part of a civil rights lawsuit settlement. — Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 18 Sep. 2026 Kyle Carriedo and Joey Gutierrez, co-founders and co-managing partners, started the firm near the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. — Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026

Adjective

Much of that increase occurred post-pandemic, with insurance jumping by more than 40% from mid-2022 to mid-2024, according to the BLS data. — Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026 Her comments come amid a prolonged Hollywood production slowdown following the pandemic and 2023 strikes. — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pandemic

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pandemic

Noun

In 2011, the World Health Organization appointed Peng a Goodwill Ambassador for tuberculosis and the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

— Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2026
To filter a movie about the origins of a zombie/monster epidemic through the point of view of a hapless outsider is an amusing, if rather one-note, concept.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of epidemic

Adjective

The widespread response to the disaster is illustrative of the relationship between Nepal’s public and private sectors in this time of transition.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2026
Reporting by the Gulf States Newsroom has revealed the widespread use of nondisclosure agreements under Landry around industrial development projects in Louisiana.

— Drew Hawkins, NPR, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of widespread

Adjective

The upcoming elections, like most elections in Russia, will take place under a climate of pervasive fear and manipulation, not the freedom to exercise a democratic right, according to critics.

— Chris Massaro , Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Horror, always popular, is generally having a big moment, becoming at once more pervasive and more direct.

— Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of pervasive

Adjective

Kyle Gardner, who has served as Wild Child’s general manager for more than a year and took over as Drastic Measures’ general manager following the staff exodus, said Sanders has not worked at the bars or been around for service since the party.

— Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026
De facto general manager Duke Tobin defended his belief in them after the draft.

— Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of general

Adjective

According to Rowbottom, Jumbo’s is rife for literary inspiration.

— Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
But coming just four months after the October 7th Hamas attack, tensions were high, misinformation was rife, and Israel’s decades-long conflation of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism had burrowed deep into the Western psyche.

— Jay Weissberg, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of rife

Adjective

The proper accounting of military fatalities has implications beyond public transparency.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
The current measles outbreak should be a call for action to renew immunization as a public good with personal benefits.

— Sheldon H. Jacobson, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of public

Adjective

The group noted the projection was revised upward from an earlier estimate owing to an additional year in the budget window and higher prevailing interest rates.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
Likewise, prevailing concepts of Hamlet at the time cast the prince as a wan and melancholic, leading critics to bristle at Bernhardt’s energy.

— Betsy Golden Kellem, JSTOR Daily, 18 Mar. 2026

Definition of prevailing

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pandemic

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“Pandemic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pandemic. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of pandemic

noun

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

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A Guide to Coronavirus-Related Words

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