contagious
/kənˈteɪdʒəs/adjective
1- (of a disease) spread from one person or organism to another by direct or indirect contact（疾病）接触传染（性）的, 触染（性）的。
1.1
- (of a person) likely to transmit a disease by contact with other people（人）可能带有人际传染疾病的; 可能带触染原的。
1.2
- figurative (of an emotion, feeling, or attitude) likely to spread to and affect others〈喻〉（情绪, 感觉, 看法）有感染力的; 可能蔓延开的：
her enthusiasm is contagious.
她的热情富有感染力。
USAGE
Strictly, a contagious disease is one transmitted by physical contact, whereas an infectious one is transmitted via microorganisms in the air or water. In practice there is little or no difference in meaning between contagious and infectious when applied to disease or its spread. In figurative senses contagious may describe the spread of good things such as laughter and enthusiasm or bad ones such as violence or panic, whereas infectious usually refers to the spread of positive things, such as good humour or optimism.
派生词
contagiously
adverbcontagiousness
noun词源
late Middle English: from late Latin contagiosus, from contagio （see CONTAGION）.