infect
verb (used with object)
to affect or contaminate (a person, organ, wound, etc.) with disease-producing germs.
have infected
-
present perfectof infect.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
Because sheeppox primarily infects sheep, the results raise two possibilities: the virus may occasionally have infected other livestock species, or viral material may have contaminated the skins during parchment production.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 11, 2026
Health authorities think the virus might have infected far more people across a broader region after spreading undetected for weeks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026
It's an almost weekly occurrence because, since Rodri's injury, these two distinct but interrelated problems have infected every part of the pitch.
From BBC ● Feb. 22, 2025
All together, these strains have infected dozens of different species, including at least 67 humans, in an unprecedented spread.
From Salon ● Feb. 7, 2025
Only one carrier of the disease could claim, plausibly, to have infected him.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
