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

The editorial also says that Marineland’s closure in 2024 was due to the pandemic and the founder’s death. — Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026 Before the pandemic, the studio’s biggest releases routinely approached or cleared $1 billion. — Andrew McGowan, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026

Adjective

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, social media strained under the weight of those returning to their parents’ home and cleaning out the closets of their former bedrooms. — Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026 By 2022, Lula narrowly beat Bolsonaro amid criticism of Bolsonaro’s handling of the pandemic and fears for the country’s democracy. — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pandemic

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pandemic

Noun

The loneliness epidemic For young workers, the loneliness epidemic has meant building a career without face-to-face interactions, submitting resumes online blindly and typing up cover letters for nameless recruiters.

— Joshua Hong, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
This led me to report on the epidemic of car crime around the city and how anti-theft technology made some cars harder to steal than others.

— Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of epidemic

Adjective

The future looks bleak for many students Anxieties about the job market, homeownership and adulthood are widespread across the East Lansing campus, even among those who are not deeply involved in politics.

— Jacqueline Ganun, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
However, widespread deployment still depends on compatible vehicles, chargers, communications systems, regulations, and business models.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of widespread

Adjective

Meta owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, and its pervasive internet presence — along with the app’s relatively easy interface — largely drove the AI agent’s success.

— Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026
And despite the pervasive use of AI as a tool throughout the competition, its only contribution to the winning team was to write an upload script.

— Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of pervasive

Adjective

But these approaches didn’t feel right for Blow Yourself Up, because while other media are prevalent, the story is told in traditional prose through sequential scenes.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
Scholars refer to this increasingly prevalent problem as cognitive offloading.

— Monideepa Tarafdar, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of prevalent

Adjective

The Great Pumpkin Commonwealth (GPC) shared a few general tips as well, including hard work and dedication, having good soil and one fruit per plant.

— Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2026
Fox News earlier reported the new reductions, which could include any one-star general or above or officer of equivalent Navy rank.

— Konstantin Toropin, Los Angeles Times, 29 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

But Milei is trying to recast Argentina as a destination for foreign wealth, slashing public spending, dismantling regulations and courting investment in the country's vast oil and mineral resources.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
Decisions about industrial policy, infrastructure, public spending, and competition increasingly have to account not only for emissions but climate risk.

— Justin Worland, Time, 3 Oct. 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

pandemics

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Style

“Pandemic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pandemic. Accessed 6 Oct. 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

'Pandemic' vs. 'Epidemic' vs. 'Endemic'

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