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infected

/ɪnˈfɛkɾɪd/
/ɪnˈfɛktɪd/
IPA guide

When someone's infected, they've been exposed to an organism that causes a disease. It's too late for an infected person to get a flu vaccine — they already have the flu.

In some cases, bodies of water can be described as infected, or contaminated with bacteria that can make people sick. Infected food or water supplies can make entire cities fall ill. And a classroom full of infected toddlers means that their teachers and families will probably catch their colds. Infected, from the verb infect, is rooted in the Latin inficere, "to spoil or stain."

Definitions of infected
  1. adjective
    containing or resulting from disease-causing organisms
    synonyms: septic
    unhealthful
    detrimental to good health
    abscessed
    infected and filled with pus
    dirty, pestiferous
    contaminated with infecting organisms
    contaminative
    making impure by contact or mixing
    purulent, pussy
    containing pus
    infectious, infective
    caused by infection or capable of causing infection
    putrefacient, putrefactive
    causing or promoting bacterial putrefaction
    septicemic
    characteristic of septicemia
    germy
    full of germs or pathological microorganisms
Pronunciation
US
/ɪnˈfɛkɾɪd/
UK
/ɪnˈfɛktɪd/
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