INFECTED Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

infected

verb

Definition of infected

past tense of infect

as in poisoned

to pass something harmful (such as a disease) to someone or something else If you come to work when you're sick, you'll infect everyone in the office.

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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 infected At least 7 in 10 people who die from rabies in the US were infected by bats. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 Injection sites can become infected, and veins can become inflamed or blocked by clots. — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026 An 8-year-old girl in Louisiana has died after being infected by an extremely rare brain-eating amoeba that is found in warm freshwater, her family says. — Jack Brook, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026 The number of mosquito traps that have captured insects infected with the West Nile virus in the county this summer is now eight, with neighboring Fulton County reporting one positive trap. — Dan Raby, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026 Less than 1% of people infected get very sick with long-term brain or nerve problems. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 20 Aug. 2026 Since becoming infected with Vibrio, Ben’s struggled with chronic pain and open sores that won’t heal. — Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026 The outbreak has infected and killed more people at a greater speed than any other outbreak in history. — ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026 At the time Newman was infected in North Carolina with Lyme, the disease was believed to be largely limited to the Northeast. — Erika Edwards, NBC news, 13 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for infected

Verb

Glutathione is processed in sterile compounding pharmacies, and there have been cases of people getting poisoned due to contamination at these facilities, Sack said.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
Patterson was accused of pretending to eat the same portion, and of feigning illness in an elaborate ruse to suggest she’d also been poisoned.

— Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of poisoned

Verb

Dyes and printing inks can contribute to diaper rash and can occasionally be contaminated with heavy metals, said Sydney Swanson, a senior science analyst at EWG.

— Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
The products were made with jalapeños that may be contaminated with salmonella, according to the FDA.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of contaminated

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infect

infected

infecting

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

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Synonyms of infected

verb

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