superbug

[soo-per-buhg]

noun

Informal.

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

superbug

/ ˈsuːpəˌbʌɡ /

noun

1. informal,  an infective microorganism that has become resistant to antibiotics

Word History and Origins

Origin of superbug¹

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

Example Sentences

The project - a collaboration between the Fleming Initiative and the pharmaceutical company GSK - is a battle between superbugs and supercomputers.

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“This makes these ‘superbug’ bacteria very hard to treat because they’re resistant to some of the strongest antibiotics we have,” Gohil said.

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The drugs were designed atom-by-atom by the AI and killed the superbugs in laboratory and animal tests.

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Experts worry that some domestic animals might carry hard-to-treat superbugs - bacteria that have become resistant to common antibiotics.

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Capturing them could give us new ways of treating infections, including superbugs that are becoming incurable.

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