Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

herpes

American  
[hur-peez] / ˈhɜr piz /

noun

Pathology.

  1. any of several diseases caused by herpesvirus, characterized by eruption of blisters on the skin or mucous membranes.

  2. herpesvirus.

herpes British  
/ ˈhɜːpiːz /

noun

  1. any of several inflammatory diseases of the skin, esp herpes simplex, characterized by the formation of small watery blisters See also genital herpes

"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
herpes Scientific  
/ hûr′pēz /

  1. Any of several infections caused by the herpes simplex virus of the genus Simplexvirus or by the varicella-zoster virus, a herpes virus of the genus Varicellavirus. Herpes infections are characterized by painful blisters on the skin or a mucous membrane and are highly contagious. Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease. Varicella-zoster infection is also called shingles.

herpes Cultural  

  1. A group of related diseases and the viruses that cause them. These diseases are marked by the development of blisterlike sores on the skin or mucous membranes of the body. The herpes virus may invade the mouth region, producing fever blisters or cold sores, or may cause a sexually transmitted disease in which the painful sores appear on the genitals. Chicken pox is another disease caused by a herpes virus.

Discover More

After an infection, the virus remains dormant and may return at a later time. Shingles, for example, is a recurrence of the chicken pox virus, and outbreaks of genital herpes recur over time.

Etymology

Origin of herpes

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from New Latin: “cutaneous eruption,” from Greek hérpēs, literally, “a creeping” (derivative of hérpein “to creep, spread”); cognate with Latin serpēns serpent

Compare meaning

How does herpes compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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.

Additionally, the Safari Park has done extensive examination into the endotheliotropic herpes virus.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2026

The study, published in the journal Nanoscale, focused on uncovering and blocking a specific molecular interaction that herpes viruses rely on to gain access to cells.

From Science Daily • Dec. 15, 2025

Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus, resulting in a painful rash.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 6, 2025

"It's time for New Zealand to become the best place in the world to have herpes."

From BBC • Jun. 24, 2025

They use elm bark for cutaneous eruptions, herpes, and lepra.

From The Leper in England: with some account of English lazar-houses by Hope, Robert Charles

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.