superbug

American

[soo-per-buhg] / ˈsu pərˌbʌg /

noun

Informal.

a pathogenic bacterium that has developed immunity to antibiotics, or an insect that has developed immunity to insecticides.

superbug British

/ ˈsuːpəˌbʌɡ /

noun

informal an infective microorganism that has become resistant to antibiotics

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of superbug

First reported in 1915–20; super- ( def. ) + bug ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

superbug

The latest findings echo those found previously by the World Health Organization, which attributes superbug development to the overuse of antimicrobials to fight viruses, bacteria and fungi.

From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2024

Despite the mounting toll — and the prospect of an eventual surge in superbug fatalities — the development of new antibiotics has stagnated.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2024

In the latest paper, Huang announced several discoveries that will help the development of a carbohydrate-based vaccine for infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus and its "superbug" relative methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 24, 2024

The formula for a new antibiotic that killed a previously lethal hospital superbug was invented by an AI tool.

From BBC ● Feb. 9, 2024

Either way, the "superbug" refused to be vanquished, despite years of antibiotic treatment.

From Scientific American ● Oct. 13, 2023

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023