contagion
gb/kəntˈeɪd͡ʒən/ us/kəntˈeɪd͡ʒən/
C1
English
fertőzés, fertőző betegség, kórokozó, átragadás, pénzügyi fertőzés
NOUN
C1
FORMAL
1
fertőzés
B2
Usage pattern:
[the] contagion (of [a disease])
Hospitals introduced strict hygiene rules to reduce contagion.
A kórházak szigorú higiéniai szabályokat vezettek be, hogy csökkentsék a fertőzések terjedését.
The virus spreads quickly, so the risk of contagion is high in crowded spaces.
A vírus gyorsan terjed, ezért zsúfolt helyeken nagy a fertőzés kockázata.
They closed the ward temporarily to prevent contagion among patients.
Learner examples
Wearing a mask can reduce contagion.
A maszk viselése csökkentheti a fertőzés kockázatát.
Doctors try to stop contagion in hospitals.
Az orvosok megpróbálják megakadályozni a fertőzések terjedését a kórházakban.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *contagion* as an adjective; the adjective is *contagious*.
Meaning
spread of disease by contact
Collocations
risk of contagion
|prevent contagion
|the spread of contagion
|contagion control
|contagion precautions
|contain contagion
|contagion in the community
|fear of contagion
|contagion through contact
|reduce contagion
Synonyms
transmission (More general; can be used for diseases, signals, or information.)
|
spread (Less technical and more everyday than *contagion*.)
Antonyms
containment (Stopping spread rather than allowing it to pass on.)
|
immunity (Resistance to infection rather than susceptibility to spreading infection.)
Themes
health
|medicine
|public_health
Definition
the spread of a disease from one person to another
the transmission of an infectious disease from one person or animal to another, especially by direct or indirect contact
NOUN
C1
FORMAL
2
kórokozó
B2
Usage pattern:
a contagion; a contagion that [spreads/affects] [someone]
In the past, people feared that any traveler might bring a contagion into the town.
Régen az emberek attól féltek, hogy bármelyik utazó fertőző betegséget hozhat a városba.
The lab was designed to handle dangerous contagions safely.
A laboratóriumot úgy tervezték, hogy a veszélyes kórokozókat biztonságosan lehessen benne kezelni.
Doctors worked to identify the contagion responsible for the outbreak.
Learner examples
The flu is a contagion that spreads fast.
Az influenza gyorsan terjedő fertőző betegség.
Common mistake:
This meaning is less common than the uncountable meaning ‘spread of disease’; many contexts prefer *infection* or *an infectious disease*.
Meaning
a contagious disease or agent
Collocations
a deadly contagion
|a dangerous contagion
|a new contagion
|a highly contagious contagion
|a contagion spreads
|carry a contagion
|a contagion outbreak
|a contagion passes to others
Synonyms
infection (More common in everyday and medical contexts.)
|
infectious disease (More explicit and neutral; less rhetorical than *contagion*.)
Antonyms
noninfectious condition (A condition that cannot be passed to others.)
Themes
health
|medicine
Definition
a disease that spreads between people
an infectious disease or harmful agent that can be passed from one person to another
NOUN
C1
3
átragadás
B2
Usage pattern:
the contagion of [fear/violence/laughter/excitement]
There was a contagion of laughter when the speaker made a mistake.
Amikor az előadó hibázott, a nevetés gyorsan átragadt mindenkire.
The contagion of fear spread through the crowd in seconds.
A félelem pillanatok alatt átragadt a tömegre.
Online, outrage can move with the speed of contagion.
Learner examples
Her excitement was contagious, like a contagion in the room.
Az izgatottsága ragadós volt, szinte az egész szobára átragadt.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse *contagion* in casual speech; in many everyday contexts, *spread* or *catching* sounds more natural.
Meaning
rapid spread of emotions or ideas
Collocations
the contagion of fear
|the contagion of laughter
|the contagion of panic
|a contagion of violence
|spread by contagion
|a sense of contagion
|social contagion
|emotional contagion
|contagion of enthusiasm
|the contagion spreads
Synonyms
spread (More general and less metaphorical.)
|
ripple effect (Emphasizes gradual spreading impact, not necessarily person-to-person.)
Antonyms
calm (Opposes the idea of emotions spreading and escalating.)
|
detachment (Not being affected by others’ feelings or behavior.)
Themes
emotions
|society
|psychology
|communication
Definition
when a feeling or behavior spreads quickly to other people
the rapid spread of a feeling, attitude, or behavior from person to person, as if it were an infection
NOUN
C1
BUSINESS
4
Usage pattern:
contagion from [place/sector] to [place/sector]; fear of contagion
Regulators acted quickly to stop contagion from the failing bank.
A szabályozó hatóságok gyorsan léptek, hogy megakadályozzák a bajba jutott bankból kiinduló pénzügyi fertőzést.
Investors worried about contagion spreading to other emerging markets.
A befektetők attól tartottak, hogy a pénzügyi fertőzés más feltörekvő piacokra is átterjed.
The government introduced safeguards to limit contagion across the financial system.
Learner examples
The crisis caused contagion in other markets.
A válság pénzügyi fertőzést okozott más piacokon.
Meaning
crisis spreading between markets
Collocations
financial contagion
|contagion risk
|contagion effects
|cross-border contagion
|contagion across markets
|prevent contagion
|contagion fears
|contagion spreads
|systemic contagion
|spillover contagion
Synonyms
spillover (Often used for effects spreading indirectly, not necessarily through panic.)
|
domino effect (Emphasizes a chain reaction of failures.)
Antonyms
decoupling (Markets or economies moving independently rather than spreading shocks.)
|
stability (A steady system where shocks do not spread widely.)
Themes
business
|economics
|finance
|news
Definition
when financial trouble spreads to other places
the spread of financial problems or loss of confidence from one company, market, or country to others
Grammar
Dictionary form
contagion
IPA
GB/kəntˈeɪd͡ʒən/
US/kəntˈeɪd͡ʒən/
Syllables & stress
con - ta - gion (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ta)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: contagion
- Plural: contagion, contagions
Word family
Forms
contagions
noun
Core family
contagious
adjective B2
Related words
contagiously
adverb
contagiousness
noun
Negative and opposite forms
noncontagious
adjective
Expressions
contagion effect
1/kəntˈeɪd͡ʒən ɪfˈɛkt/
fixed phrase
chain spread of impact
an effect that spreads to others
Examples
- Officials feared a contagion effect if the rumors continued.
- The layoffs triggered a contagion effect across the industry.
- Social media can intensify the contagion effect of panic buying.
Learner examples
- The news had a contagion effect.
emotional contagion
1/ɪmˈoʊʃənəl kəntˈeɪd͡ʒən/
fixed phrase
emotions spreading between people
when you start to feel what others feel
Examples
- Emotional contagion can make one anxious person affect the whole team.
- In customer service, emotional contagion means moods can spread quickly between staff and clients.
- The study examined emotional contagion in close friendships.
Learner examples
- Stress can spread through emotional contagion.
fear of contagion
1/fˈɪɹ əv kəntˈeɪd͡ʒən/
fixed phrase
worry about catching disease
worry about catching a disease
Examples
- Fear of contagion kept many people away from public transport.
- The fear of contagion was strongest in the first weeks of the outbreak.
- Some shoppers wore gloves out of fear of contagion.
Learner examples
- She stayed home because of fear of contagion.
financial contagion
1/fɪnˈænʃəl kəntˈeɪd͡ʒən/
fixed phrase
business
spread of financial crisis
when money problems spread to other places
Examples
- The central bank warned that financial contagion could spread through the region.
- Stronger capital rules are meant to reduce financial contagion after a major failure.
- Analysts debated whether the sell-off was driven by fundamentals or financial contagion.
Learner examples
- They tried to stop financial contagion.
social contagion
1/sˈoʊʃəl kəntˈeɪd͡ʒən/
fixed phrase
behaviors spreading in society
when people copy behavior from others
Examples
- Researchers tracked social contagion in online communities.
- Some habits spread through social contagion more than we realize.
- The campaign relied on social contagion to reach new audiences.
Learner examples
- Trends can spread by social contagion.