1. Containing or resulting from disease-causing organisms
   "The infected wound required immediate medical attention";
   - septic

1. Contaminate with a disease or microorganism
   "The contaminated water infected many villagers with cholera";
   - taint
    
2. Communicate a disease to
   "Your children have infected you with this head cold"
    
3. Affect in a contagious way
   "His laughter infects everyone who is in the same room"
    
4. Corrupt with ideas or an ideology
   "society was infected by racism"

See also: abscessed, contaminative, dirty, germy [informal], infectious, infective, pestiferous, purulent, pussy, putrefacient, putrefactive, septicaemic [Brit, Cdn], septicemic [N. Amer], unhealthful [rare], unhealthy

Type of: affect, contaminate, corrupt, debase, debauch, demoralise [Brit], demoralize, deprave, foul, give, impress, misdirect, move, pervert, pollute, profane, strike, subvert, vitiate

Antonym: antiseptic, disinfect

Encyclopedia: Infected