infect
verb (used with object)
to affect or contaminate (a person, organ, wound, etc.) with disease-producing germs.
infected
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past participleof infect.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof infect.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
infectverb (used with object)to affect or contaminate (a person, organ, wound, etc.) with disease-producing germs.
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.
One response involves the excessive activation of CD8+ T cells, immune cells that normally help the body destroy infected or abnormal cells.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person who has developed symptoms, or through contaminated materials.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
The California Department of Public Health reports that West Nile virus activity in the state, which is transmitted from infected mosquitoes, has reached a five-year high, with over 250 cases to date and 19 fatalities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
And plague symptoms emerge really quickly, sometimes within a day, which means less opportunity for an infected person to spread the disease without knowing.
From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026
“Bizarre events have incurably infected the prosecution of this case,” Byrne continued.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
