infect

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ɪnˈfɛkt/ See IPA manual

Freq #15732

Meanings

1

verb
To pass a disease to a person, animal, or thing.

The virus can infect anyone who breathes the same air.
2

verb
To spread a feeling or mood to other people.

Her cheerful laughter quickly infected the whole room.
3

verb
To put a harmful program onto a computer or file.

The downloaded file infected his laptop with a virus.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to pass a disease to a... contaminate taint

Opposites

disinfect

Word family

Forms infectinginfects

Derived forms autoinfectcamfectingcoinfectinfectabilityinfectableinfecteeinfectibleinfection infectiveinfectomeinfectornoninfecting

Related forms infectious

Simplified etymology

Infect comes from Latin inficere, meaning “to taint” or “dip,” formed from in-, “into,” and facere, “to put” or “do.” Infection derives from the same Latin source.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin īnfectus, equivalent to in- (“not”) + factus, perfect passive participle of faciō (“to do, make”).

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# infect

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ɪnˈfɛkt/
**Frequency rank:** 15732

## Meanings
1. To pass a disease to a person, animal, or thing.
2. To spread a feeling or mood to other people.
3. To put a harmful program onto a computer or file.

## Examples
- The virus can infect anyone who breathes the same air.
- Her cheerful laughter quickly infected the whole room.
- The downloaded file infected his laptop with a virus.

## Antonyms
- disinfect

## Derived Forms
- autoinfect
- camfecting
- coinfect
- infectability
- infectable
- infectee
- infectible
- infection
- infective
- infectome
- infector
- noninfecting

## Related Forms
- infectious

## Etymology
Borrowed from Latin īnfectus, equivalent to in- (“not”) + factus, perfect passive participle of faciō (“to do, make”).

## AI Etymology
Infect is borrowed from Latin īnfectus, equivalent to in- (“not”) + factus, perfect passive participle of faciō (“to do, make”). The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern verbal form is built from the named base and affix.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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