contagious

From Old French contagieus, from Late Latin contagiosus, from contagio.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /kənˈteɪdʒəs/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪdʒəs

contagious (comparative more contagious, superlative most contagious)

1. (of a disease) Easily transmitted to others.

   Antonyms: noncontagious, noncommunicable, nontransmissible

   Hypernyms: infectious, communicable, transmissible, spreadable, catching

   Last year's flu strain was so contagious that everybody in town got sick!

2. (figurative) Easily passed on to others.

   Synonyms: infectious, spreadable

   contagious enthusiasm; infectious laughter

   Wearing jeans was a contagious fad at that time.

   • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “Success”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 75:

     The taverns of our ancestors would ill bear contrasting with the clubs of to-day; but many a gay midnight was past in the former:—midnights, whose mirth has descended even to us; half the jests, whose gaiety is still contagious; half the epigrams, whose point is yet felt, were born of those brief and brilliant hours.

   • 2000, Damon Gough (lyrics and music), “Magic in the Air”, in The Hour of Bewilderbeast, performed by Badly Drawn Boy:

     Cause love is contagious, when it's alright / Love is contagious, when it's alright / Love is alright

3. (of a person) Having a disease that can be transmitted to another person.

   They were highly contagious, spreading bacteria to other people.

4. Contiguous.
   • 19th century, Zozimus (lyrics and music), “The Finding of Moses”:

     In Agypt's land contaygious to the Nile / Old Pharao's daughter went to bathe in style,

• catching

• non-contagious
• noncontagious
• noninfectious
• nontransmissible

• contagious on Wikipedia.Wikipedia