infect
gb/ɪnfˈɛkt/ us/ɪnfˈɛkt/
B1
English
~ 5200
megfertőz, fertőz, kórokozókkal szennyez, átragad
VERB
B1
1
Usage pattern:
to infect [someone/something] with [a disease]
The virus infected thousands of people within a few weeks.
A vírus néhány héten belül több ezer embert fertőzött meg.
Doctors are worried that the bacteria could infect the patient’s bloodstream.
Az orvosok attól tartanak, hogy a baktériumok megfertőzhetik a beteg véráramát.
If a mosquito carrying malaria bites you, it can infect you with the parasite.
The wound became infected after he fell on the dirty ground.
Health officials warn that the disease may infect more children this winter.
Learner examples
The flu virus infected many students at the school.
Az influenzavírus sok diákot megfertőzött az iskolában.
A sick dog can infect other dogs in the park.
Egy beteg kutya megfertőzhet más kutyákat a parkban.
Touching dirty water can infect your skin with germs.
The cut on his hand was infected and very red.
They were afraid the sick man might infect his family.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"He was infect by the virus"* instead of *"He was infected by the virus"* (past participle needed). Another common mistake is confusing *infect* with *affect*; *infect* is only about disease or something spreading like a disease, while *affect* is about causing any kind of change.
Meaning
give a person or animal a disease
Collocations
infect humans
|infect animals
|infect a patient
|infect the lungs
|infect millions
|infect [someone] with [a virus]
Synonyms
contaminate (can refer to making something dirty or unsafe in general; less specific to organisms growing inside the body)
|
transmit (focuses on passing a disease from one person to another, not on what happens inside the body after)
|
infectious (adjective form; describes the disease or agent rather than the action)
Antonyms
cure (means to remove a disease from someone, the opposite of causing disease)
|
vaccinate (means to protect someone against infection rather than cause infection)
Themes
health
|science
|medicine
|body
Definition
to make a person, animal, or body part sick by putting germs, a virus, or bacteria into it
To cause a virus, bacterium, or other disease-causing organism to enter and multiply in a person, animal, or part of the body, usually leading to illness.
B2
2
Usage pattern:
to infect [something] with [germs/disease]
Floodwater can infect wells and make drinking water unsafe.
Az árvíz vize megfertőzheti a kutakat, és ihatatlanná teheti az ivóvizet.
Improper handling of raw meat may infect other foods in the kitchen.
A nyers hús nem megfelelő kezelése kórokozókkal szennyezhet más élelmiszereket a konyhában.
The laboratory warned that a small mistake could infect the entire batch of samples.
Sewage leaks were found to infect nearby rivers with dangerous bacteria.
Rusty medical tools can infect the surgical area with harmful microbes.
Learner examples
Dirty hands can infect the food you cook.
A piszkos kéz megfertőzheti az ételt, amit főzöl.
Sick animals can infect the farm water.
A beteg állatok megfertőzhetik a gazdaság vizét.
Sewage can infect a lake and kill fish.
Bad air can infect many people in a small room.
The doctor cleaned the area so that nothing would infect the wound.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse *infect* where *pollute* is better, for example saying *"The factory infected the river"* when they mean it put chemicals, not germs, into the water. Use *infect* when living germs or organisms are the problem.
Meaning
contaminate things with germs
Collocations
infect the water supply
|infect food
|infect the air
|infect soil
|infect medical equipment
|infect a sample
Synonyms
contaminate (very close in this sense; can also include non-biological pollution like chemicals or dirt)
|
pollute (focuses on making the environment dirty or unsafe, not necessarily with living organisms)
Antonyms
sterilize (means to remove all living microorganisms from something, the opposite of infecting it with them)
|
disinfect (means to kill germs on a surface or object, reversing infection/contamination)
Themes
health
|environment
|science
Definition
to put germs or harmful bacteria into water, food, air, or other things so that they can make people or animals sick
To contaminate a substance, object, or environment with disease-causing organisms, making it capable of spreading infection.
VERB
B2
3
megfertőz
B2
Usage pattern:
to infect [a computer/system/device] with [a virus/malware]
Hackers used a phishing email to infect thousands of computers with ransomware.
A hackerek adathalász e-mailt használtak arra, hogy zsarolóvírussal fertőzzenek meg több ezer számítógépet.
If you plug in an unknown USB drive, it could infect your laptop.
Ha bedugsz egy ismeretlen USB-meghajtót, az megfertőzheti a laptopodat.
The malware is designed to infect devices and then secretly mine cryptocurrency.
One compromised server can quickly infect the entire network.
The antivirus software blocked the file before it could infect the system.
Learner examples
A bad website can infect your computer with a virus.
Egy veszélyes weboldal vírussal fertőzheti meg a számítógépedet.
The email had a file that tried to infect my laptop.
Az e-mailben volt egy fájl, amely megpróbálta megfertőzni a laptopomat.
Their phones were infected with a spy program.
The company server was infected and stopped working.
You should update your antivirus so hackers cannot infect your computer.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"The computer is affect by a virus"* instead of *"The computer is infected with a virus"*. Use *infected with* for viruses, both in health and computers.
Meaning
put a virus on a computer
Collocations
infect a computer
|infect a system
|infect a network
|infect a device with malware
|infect millions of users
|infect files
Synonyms
compromise (technical; emphasizes that security has been weakened or broken, not necessarily how)
|
corrupt (focuses on damaging data or files, not always through a spreading virus)
Antonyms
secure (means to protect a system from attack, the opposite of infecting it with malware)
|
clean (in IT, to remove viruses or malware from a system)
Themes
technology
|computing
|security
Definition
to put a computer virus or bad program on a computer, phone, or network so it does not work normally or is not safe
To place or spread a computer virus or other malicious software into a device, system, or network so that it is damaged, controlled, or used without permission.
VERB
C1
4
Usage pattern:
to infect [someone/a group] with [an emotion/attitude]
Her laughter seemed to infect everyone in the room.
A nevetése mintha mindenkire átragadt volna a szobában.
The coach’s confidence infected the whole team before the final game.
Az edző magabiztossága a döntő mérkőzés előtt átragadt az egész csapatra.
Online hate speech can infect young people with extremist ideas.
A sense of panic quickly infected the crowd after the explosion.
His negative attitude infected the office and lowered morale.
Learner examples
Her happy mood infected all of her friends.
A jókedve átragadt az összes barátjára.
Fear infected the town after the attack.
A támadás után félelem terjedt el a városban.
The speaker infected the audience with hope.
His bad mood infected everyone in the small group.
These videos can infect young people with dangerous ideas.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse this figurative sense and say things like *"The news infected me"* when *"The news upset me"* is more natural. Use *infect* when a feeling or idea spreads from one person or group to many others, not just for a single reaction.
Meaning
spread a feeling or attitude
Collocations
infect a crowd with enthusiasm
|infect others with fear
|infect the team with confidence
|infect young minds with hatred
|infect the room with his energy
|infect society with doubt
Synonyms
inspire (usually positive; focuses on encouraging or motivating, without the negative or uncontrollable feeling of 'infect')
|
poison (strongly negative; suggests harming thoughts or relationships, similar to a very harmful infection)
|
permeate (more formal and neutral; describes something gradually spreading through a group or space)
Antonyms
uplift (to make people feel more positive, often the opposite of negatively infecting them with fear or hate)
|
calm (to reduce strong emotions rather than spread them)
Themes
emotions
|social
|communication
|relationships
Definition
to make other people feel or think the same way as you do, in a strong way that spreads quickly like a sickness
To strongly influence people so that an emotion, mood, or attitude spreads among them in a way that resembles the spread of disease.
Grammar
Dictionary form
infect
IPA
GB/ɪnfˈɛkt/
US/ɪnfˈɛkt/
Syllables & stress
in - fect (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (fect)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: infect
- 3rd Person Singular: infects
- Present Participle: infecting
- Past: infected
Word family
Forms
infects
verb
infecting
verb
infected
verb
Core family
infection
noun B1
infectious
adjective B2
Related words
infectiousness
noun
infectiously
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
disinfect
verb
disinfection
noun
disinfectant
noun
Advanced or less common
infective
adjective
infectivity
noun
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.