1
as in infectious
capable of being passed by physical contact from one person to another
chicken pox, measles, German measles, and other contagious diseases
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2
as in spreading
exciting a similar feeling or reaction in others
the enthusiasm of the new club members was contagious
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Recent Examples of contagious
The beauty of this is that kindness is often contagious; your one small good deed could unwittingly inspire so many others.
—
Mark Travers, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
And then, of course, Michael Potts laughed, which is contagious.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
The drama is contagious because Lexi is going after Ciara because Jesse Solomon keeps flirting with her.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2024
Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a highly contagious viral illness that primarily impacts children under the age of five.
—Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for contagious 
Mark Travers, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
And then, of course, Michael Potts laughed, which is contagious.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
The drama is contagious because Lexi is going after Ciara because Jesse Solomon keeps flirting with her.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2024
Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a highly contagious viral illness that primarily impacts children under the age of five.
—Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for contagious
Thesaurus Entries Near contagious
Cite this Entry
“Contagious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contagious. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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