Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

infectious

/ɪnˈfɛk.ʃəs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.81 in modern English

Syllables: in-fec-tious
IPA: /ɪnˈfɛk.ʃəs/

15

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

3

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Caused by an agent that enters the host's body (such as a bacterium, virus, parasite, or prion); often, also, transmitted among hosts via any of various routes (for example, contact, droplet-borne, airborne, waterborne, foodborne, fomite-borne, or bloodborne).

adj

Able to infect others; capable of transmitting pathogens.

adj

Spreading quickly from one person to another.

adj

Memorable and invoking excitement or interest.

Informal

Example Sentences

"Cancer is usually not infectious."
"More infectious diseases like the flu are usually less potent."
"Despite feeling better, the patient is still infectious."
"I doubt that [saliva] is very infectious ... I don't think this is a normal route of transmission."
"infectious smile"
"Her enthusiasm for work can be really infectious."

Etymology

Borrowed from New Latin īnfectiōsus. By surface analysis, infect + -ious.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ɪnˈfɛk.ʃəs/
British English: /ɪnˈfɛk.ʃəs/

Usage

Informal

Inflected Forms

more infectious (comparative) most infectious (superlative)

Derived Forms

agroinfectious antiinfectious hyperinfectious infection infectiously infectiousness neuroinfectious parainfectious postinfectious preinfectious pseudoinfectious reinfectious

Phrases

bovine infectious petechial fever feline infectious peritonitis infectious abortion infectious agent infectious bovine rhinotracheitis infectious disease infectious disease specialist infectious mononucleosis

Synonyms

infective

Antonyms

non-infectious noninfectious

Questions

How do you pronounce infectious?: The recorded pronunciation is /ɪnˈfɛk.ʃəs/.
What does infectious mean?: Caused by an agent that enters the host's body (such as a bacterium, virus, parasite, or prion); often, also, transmitted among hosts via any of various routes (for example, contact, droplet-borne, airborne, waterborne, foodborne, fomite-borne, or bloodborne).
Where does infectious come from?: Borrowed from New Latin īnfectiōsus. By surface analysis, infect + -ious.

How to pronounce infectious

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “infectious”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ɪnˈfɛk.ʃəs/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “infectious”.
Repeat and practice — Say “infectious” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.