metastasize

[ muh-tas-tuh-sahyz ]

/ məˈtæs təˌsaɪz /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: metastasize / metastasized / metastasizes / metastasizing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), me·tas·ta·sized, me·tas·ta·siz·ing.

Pathology. (of malignant cells or disease-producing organisms) to spread to other parts of the body by way of the blood or lymphatic vessels or membranous surfaces.

to spread injuriously: Street gangs have metastasized in our city.

to transform, especially into a dangerous form: The KGB metastasized after the fall of the Soviet Union. Truth metastasized into lurid fantasy.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also especially British, me·tas·ta·sise .

Origin of metastasize

First recorded in 1905–10; metastas(is) + -ize

Words nearby metastasize

metasoma, metasomatism, metastable, Metastasio, metastasis, metastasize, metastatic, meta tag, metatarsal, metatarsal arch, metatarsus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use metastasize in a sentence

One thing we clearly know is that pancreatic cancer spreads early — or what we call metastasizes — to organs away from the pancreas.
How to Fix the Incentives in Cancer Research (Ep. 449)|Stephen J. Dubner|January 28, 2021|Freakonomics
In a country obsessed with TV—where provincialism too often metastasizes into nationalism, and especially at a time when international travel is virtually impossible—the best thing our screens can do is open us up to the world beyond them.
The Best Result of the Streaming Boom? America Finally Loves Foreign-Language TV|Judy Berman|January 22, 2021|Time
It faced a backlog of 26,000 reported posts that remained on the service, and Parler’s alleged reliance on “volunteers” to moderate content meant that it could not keep pace with the metastasizing threats.
The Right’s Message to Silicon Valley: 'Free Speech for Me, But Not for Thee'|David French|January 16, 2021|Time
Like Douglas, he enabled an extremist movement that rejected core American principles, allowing it to metastasize into a serious threat to the republic.
Mitch McConnell has repeated Stephen A. Douglas’s biggest mistake|Lauren Haumesser|January 12, 2021|Washington Post

If they find cancer, surgery can still be effective if the tumor hasn’t metastasized.
This chart shows how far we’ve come in fighting cancer|Eleanor Cummins|December 3, 2020|Popular-Science
When politicians use ethnic mobilization to promote their agendas, violence can metastasize quickly.
George Clooney on How to Stop An Inferno in South Sudan|George Clooney, John Prendergast|December 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
What starts out as Casual Friday must metastasize eventually into Slumming Sunday.
Our Sweatpants Nightmare|Sean Macaulay|January 17, 2010|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for metastasize

metastasize

metastasise

/ (mɪˈtæstəˌsaɪz) /

verb (intr)

pathol (esp of cancer cells) to spread to a new site in the body via blood or lymph vessels

(of a problem) to deteriorate or spread into new areas

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

metastasize

Origin of metastasize

Words nearby metastasize

Words related to metastasize

How to use metastasize in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for metastasize

metastasise