contagious

contagious — adjective

1. describes a disease that passes from one person to another through touch, coughi

1.形容詞B1
釋義

describes a disease that passes from one person to another through touch, coughing, sneezing, or contact with a surface that an infected person has used.

例句

Élise stayed home from school because her cold was highly contagious.

be + highly contagious (intensifier pattern)

The nurse warned us that flu viruses are especially contagious in closed rooms.

同義詞
  • infectious

    broader term — covers all pathogen-caused diseases, including those that spread through air, water, or food, not just contact

  • communicable

    more formal; used in public-health contexts about diseases that can be passed between hosts

  • transmissible

    most technical; can apply to diseases, genes, or traits passed from one organism to another

  • catching

    informal, conversational — 'Is it catching?' is a common everyday question

反義詞

文法句型

contagious + noun (disease, virus, illness)

be + contagious

remain/stay + contagious

用法筆記

Contagious refers specifically to diseases that spread through physical contact or close proximity. It is narrower than 'infectious' — all contagious diseases are infectious, but not all infectious diseases are contagious (e.g. tetanus is infectious but cannot spread between people).

常見錯誤

❌He is contagious with the flu.
✅He has the flu and is contagious.
💡'Contagious' describes the person's state directly; it is not followed by 'with' + disease.

2. describes a person who has a sickness that others nearby may pick up through tou

2.形容詞B2
釋義

describes a person who has a sickness that others nearby may pick up through touch or close contact.

例句

Folake was told she would stay contagious for a week after the fever went away.

stay + contagious (linking verb)

The daycare asked parents to keep contagious children at home until they recover.

attributive: contagious + noun (children)

同義詞
  • infectious

    can also describe a person carrying a disease, though 'contagious' is preferred for contact-spread

  • sick

    much broader and less precise; a sick person may or may not be contagious

反義詞

文法句型

be + contagious

remain/stay + contagious

still + contagious

用法筆記

This sense is almost always used predicatively (after 'be,' 'remain,' 'stay'). When used attributively before a noun, it typically modifies 'person,' 'patient,' or 'child' — e.g. 'contagious patients.'

常見錯誤

❌The contagious man went to the party.
✅The man went to the party while he was still contagious.
💡Attributive use without specifying when or why sounds unnatural in most contexts; predicative use clarifies the temporary state.

3. describes a feeling or way of behaving that passes rapidly between people, causi

3.形容詞B1
釋義

describes a feeling or way of behaving that passes rapidly between people, causing others to share the same emotion or action.

例句

Jisoo's laughter was so contagious that soon the whole room was giggling.

be + contagious describing an emotion

The choir sang with contagious energy, and the audience began clapping along.

attributive: contagious + noun (energy)

同義詞
  • infectious

    used almost interchangeably in this figurative sense, though 'contagious' is slightly more common for emotions

  • spreading

    describes the action directly but lacks the vivid metaphor of 'contagious'

  • catching

    informal — 'Her excitement is catching' means the same thing in casual speech

文法句型

contagious + noun (laughter, enthusiasm, smile)

be + contagious

prove + contagious

用法筆記

This figurative sense is very common in everyday English. It typically describes positive emotions (laughter, enthusiasm, joy, excitement) but can also apply to negative moods such as panic or fear. The literal medical sense does not apply.

常見錯誤

❌His happiness is very contagious to people.
✅His happiness is very contagious.
💡No preposition follows 'contagious'; it does not take 'to' + person.