contagious

contagious — 形容詞

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

1.形容詞B1
釋義

會傳染的

疾病可透過接觸或飛沫傳染給他人

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.

Élise 因為感冒傳染力很強，所以待在家裡沒去上學。

be + highly contagious (intensifier pattern)

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

護士提醒我們，流感病毒在密閉空間裡特別容易傳染。

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

帶有傳染力的

指人本身有疾病，可能傳給他人

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.

醫生告訴 Folake，她在退燒後約一週內仍有傳染力。

stay + contagious (linking verb)

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

托兒所要求家長讓有傳染病的孩子留在家裡，等康復再來。

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

有感染力的

情緒或行為迅速在人群間擴散

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.

Jisoo 的笑聲感染力很強，很快整間房間的人都笑了起來。

be + contagious describing an emotion

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

合唱團唱出了充滿感染力的活力，觀眾也跟著打起拍子。

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.