infect
Pass germs along
To infect is to transmit disease-causing organisms to a person, animal, or plant: The contaminated water infected hundreds of villagers.
By extension, anything that spreads harmfully infects—a corrupted file infects a computer, panic infects a crowd, cynicism infects an organization.
The word implies unwanted invasion and spread from one host to others.
Make impure
- contaminateMake unclean or unsafe
- poisonHarmful ingested substance
- polluteMake impure harmfully
- defileTo violate sanctity
corrupt · pervert · spoil · blight · rot · fester · spreading · influence
Disease-causing microorganism
- virusMicroscopic infectious agent
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
- parasiteOne exploiting a host
- fungusSpore-bearing organism
illness · sickness · fever · inflammation · pneumonia · sepsis · abscess · lesion
Sending of information
- outbreakSudden eruption of trouble
- spreadTo distribute widely
- epidemicWidespread disease occurrence
- pandemicGlobal disease outbreak
quarantine · contagious · communicable · airborne · droplet · contact · vector · incubation
Harmful computer programs
- virusMicroscopic infectious agent
- wormLimbless soil invertebrate
- ransomwareHostage-taking code
- spywareHidden surveillance program
hack · breach · payload · exploit · backdoor · botnet · phishing · download
taint
Make impure
- contaminateMake unclean or unsafe
- poisonHarmful ingested substance
- polluteMake impure harmfully
defile · corrupt · pervert · spoil · blight · rot · fester · spreading · influence · morals
pathogen
Disease-causing microorganism
- virusMicroscopic infectious agent
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
- parasiteOne exploiting a host
fungus · illness · sickness · fever · inflammation · pneumonia · sepsis · abscess · lesion · wound
transmission
Sending of information
pandemic · quarantine · contagious · communicable · airborne · droplet · contact · vector · incubation · shedding
malware
Harmful computer programs
- virusMicroscopic infectious agent
- wormLimbless soil invertebrate
- ransomwareHostage-taking code
spyware · hack · breach · payload · exploit · backdoor · botnet · phishing · download · executable
enthusiasm
Intense eager enjoyment
- excitementState of eager enthusiasm
- passionIntense emotional drive
- laughterVocal expression of amusement
joy · fear · panic · mood · contagious · spread · catch · energy · spirit · attitude
- Trading Card Gamesbooster pack, creature, spell, artifact, enchantment
- biology verbsgrow, divide, reproduce, evolve, mutate
infectdisinfect
Kill pathogens on surfaces
sterilize · decontaminate · sanitize · purify · cleanse
- ear infectionInflamed auditory canal
- sinus infectionInflamed nasal cavity illness
- infectious diseasesPathogen-caused transmissible conditions
- viral infectionDisease caused by microbes
- eye infectionPathogen invading ocular tissue
- kidney infectionBacterial illness of renal organ
infection, disinfect, infected, infectious, disinfected, infecting, infects, infections, disinfecting