contagious
Passed by contact
Contagious describes diseases that spread from person to person through direct or close contact: Measles is highly contagious.
The word extends to anything that spreads readily from one person to another—laughter, enthusiasm, fear, yawning: Her excitement was contagious.
Contagious emphasizes transmission between individuals, while infectious (often used interchangeably) technically refers to diseases caused by pathogens.
Pathogen invasion causing illness
- virusMicroscopic infectious agent
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
- pathogenDisease-causing microorganism
- transmissionSending of information
outbreak · pandemic · quarantine · immunity · vaccine · symptoms · incubation · carrier
Able to spread disease
- spreadingExtending over space
- catchingAble to be transmitted
- inspiringEvoking enthusiasm or drive
- excitementState of eager enthusiasm
passion · energy · charisma · positivity · optimism · exuberance · fervor · eagerness
Laughing in short bursts
- chucklingLaughing softly, briefly
- snickeringStifled, scornful laughter
- cacklingHarsh, staccato laughter
- howlingProlonged mournful crying sound
guffaw · infectious · uncontrollable · spreading · hilarious · belly laugh · fits · chortle
Initiating popular movements
- imitationCopy of the original
- spreadTo distribute widely
- ripple effectCascading secondary results
- social proofInfluence through others' behavior
bandwagon · peer pressure · domino effect · viral · word-of-mouth · copycat · herd mentality · groupthink
Shared online humor
- hashtagLabeled link for posts
- trendingCurrently gaining widespread attention
- shareableAble to be divided
- clickbaitSensationalized content for traffic
buzzworthy · virality · social media · influencer · retweet · TikTok · YouTube · Instagram
infection
Pathogen invasion causing illness
- virusMicroscopic infectious agent
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
- pathogenDisease-causing microorganism
transmission · outbreak · pandemic · quarantine · immunity · vaccine · symptoms · incubation · carrier · communicable
infectious
Able to spread disease
excitement · passion · energy · charisma · positivity · optimism · exuberance · fervor · eagerness · spark
giggling
Laughing in short bursts
- chucklingLaughing softly, briefly
- snickeringStifled, scornful laughter
- cacklingHarsh, staccato laughter
howling · guffaw · infectious · uncontrollable · spreading · hilarious · belly laugh · fits · chortle · roaring
trendsetting
Initiating popular movements
- imitationCopy of the original
- spreadTo distribute widely
- ripple effectCascading secondary results
social proof · bandwagon · peer pressure · domino effect · viral · word-of-mouth · copycat · herd mentality · groupthink · mimicry
meme
Shared online humor
- hashtagLabeled link for posts
- trendingCurrently gaining widespread attention
- shareableAble to be divided
clickbait · buzzworthy · virality · social media · influencer · retweet · TikTok · YouTube · Instagram · sensation
- illnessdisease, sickness, illness, ailment, disorder
- epidemiologyepidemic, epidemiology, pandemic, outbreak, endemic
- pandemiclockdowns, COVID-19, outbreak, epidemic, COVID
- coldscommon cold, cold virus, rhinovirus, head cold, chest cold
- sicknesssick, ill, unwell, ailing, diseased
- Danger Levelsdanger, high risk, high-risk, low risk, critical
contagiousnoncontagious
Cannot spread between hosts
noncommunicable · noninfectious · uncontagious · genetic · hereditary
contagiouscontained
Kept within limits
isolated · suppressed · restrained · uninspiring · dampened
contagiouscontained
Kept within limits
quarantined · isolated · controlled · eradicated · dormant
- contagious diseaseTransmissible pathological condition
- contagion effectSpread through proximity or exposure
- highly contagious
- contagious laughMirth that spreads involuntarily
- not contagious
- financial contagionCrisis transmission between economies