contagious
capable of being transmitted by bodily contact with an infected person or object: contagious diseases.
carrying or spreading a contagious disease.
tending to spread from person to person: contagious laughter.
Origin of contagious
1synonym study For contagious
Other words from contagious
- con·ta·gious·ly, adverb
- con·ta·gious·ness, con·ta·gi·os·i·ty [kuhn-tey-jee-os-i-tee], /kənˌteɪ dʒiˈɒs ɪ ti/, noun
- an·ti·con·ta·gious, adjective
- an·ti·con·ta·gious·ly, adverb
- an·ti·con·ta·gious·ness, noun
- non·con·ta·gious, adjective
- non·con·ta·gious·ly, adverb
- non·con·ta·gious·ness, noun
- un·con·ta·gious, adjective
- un·con·ta·gious·ly, adverb
Words that may be confused with contagious
- contagious , infectious (see synonym study at the current entry)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use contagious in a sentence
It fairly overflows with good spirits, and is never more contagiously gay than in a snowstorm.
Bird Neighbors | Neltje BlanchanThey all laughed contagiously on seeing his comical inability to understand the situation.
The Enemies of Women | Vicente Blasco IbezThe pieces in which, on the contrary, he celebrated the praises of the emperor were written with an emotion contagiously vivid.
French Classics | William Cleaver WilkinsonLondon was a Tommy on leave, insubordinately, humorously, contagiously happy.
The Kingdom Round the Corner | Coningsby DawsonShe was laughing contagiously with the youth, and in the end she gained the guitar over which they were wrangling.
The House of Fulfilment | George Madden Martin
British Dictionary definitions for contagious
/ (kənˈteɪdʒəs) /
(of a disease) capable of being passed on by direct contact with a diseased individual or by handling clothing, etc, contaminated with the causative agent: Compare infectious
(of an organism) harbouring or spreading the causative agent of a transmissible disease
causing or likely to cause the same reaction or emotion in several people; catching; infectious: her laughter was contagious
Derived forms of contagious
- contagiously, adverb
- contagiousness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for contagious
[ kən-tā′jəs ]
Capable of being transmitted by direct or indirect contact, as an infectious disease.
Bearing contagion, as a person or animal with an infectious disease that is contagious.
usage For contagious
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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