epidemic 1 of 2

noun

Definition of epidemicnext
1
as in pandemic

Related Words

Relevance
2
as in eruption

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

epidemic

2 of 2

adjective

ˌe-pə-ˈde-mik How to pronounce epidemic (audio)
as in infectious
exciting a similar feeling or reaction in others the little girl's giggles were epidemic, and soon the entire gathering was laughing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of epidemic
Noun
Matus’ death took place at the height of the fentanyl epidemic in 2022, when Riverside County jails experienced close to 100 inmate drug overdoses, seven of which resulted in death, according to court documents. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026 This January, Maryland should stop relying on the resilience of children to survive a preventable epidemic and finally demand accountability from the adults entrusted with keeping them safe. — Brittany Berlin, Baltimore Sun, 25 Aug. 2026
Adjective
Autism, insulin resistance, and autoimmune diagnoses have reached epidemic proportions. — David Ferry, Wired News, 10 Dec. 2025 From Breath To Burnout The early identification of imbalances caused by chronic stress resonates deeply in our current health climate, where burnout, emotional exhaustion and cognitive fatigue are silently epidemic. — Trisha Swift, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for epidemic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for epidemic
  1. pandemic
  2. eruption
  3. infectious
  4. plague
  5. explosion
  6. pestilence
  7. upswing
  8. increase
Noun
  • Things could be better, which goes without saying in the aftermath of a flu pandemic that has wiped out most of the planet’s human population, but the four principals here could also be dead, so there’s that.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Yet the pandemic affirms Prem’s view that the public and private sectors need to work together in a health crisis.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of pandemic
Noun
  • Sonic booms, volcanic eruptions and meteor airbursts can produce similar atmospheric shock waves, potentially creating other natural seismic sources.
    — Nolan Roth, Scientific American, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The eruption also generated roughly 360 cubic miles (1,500 cubic kilometers) of pyroclastic-density-current deposits.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of eruption
Adjective
  • The portable machine uses pulses of full-spectrum ultraviolet light to kill infectious germs inside hospital rooms.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Multiple baby goats at a North Carolina mobile petting zoo had rabies and may have been in direct contact with people at events while infectious, state health officials said Friday.
    — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of infectious
Noun
  • But on an ordinary mission, Hawks discovers a bizarre magic plague, a secret plan hatched by the Separatist army, and a contract with Republic intelligence to take on jobs the army can’t do.
    — Hayes Madsen, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Most people go to campgrounds to escape the plagues of modern technology, so try to keep the decibels to a minimum.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of plague
Noun
  • The explosions provide different interruptions, punctuating the moment as one of Keeley’s ideas plays out in real time.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Though the threat of an explosion was mitigated in early June, cleanup didn't begin until the very end of the month.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of explosion
Noun
  • As famine, war, pestilence and death galloped through, religious thought had been taking on an apocalyptic and self-abnegatory fervor.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 July 2026
  • Some of those tombstones explicitly referred to a pestilence as the cause of death.
    — Marc Zimmer, The Conversation, 12 May 2026
Definition of pestilence
Noun
  • IndyCar’s upswing also comes at a time when Formula 1’s viewership is in steep decline over 2025 in America.
    — Maury Brown, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Last season, however, should provide some optimism that their team might be on an unexpected upswing.
    — Josh Yohe, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of upswing
Noun
  • The typical small business faces premium increases of 14% next year, based on a preliminary analysis by KFF.
    — Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Australia’s National Emergency Management Agency has warned that the growing trend of concurrent and cascading disasters is expected to continue and, in many cases, increase.
    — Milad Haghani, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of increase

Browse Nearby Words

epicures
epidemic
epidemics
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Epidemic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epidemic. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on epidemic

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about epidemic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All