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Glite Dictionary
🗣️ Spreader of ideas 🦟 Spreader of disease 💻 Malicious program
infector

infector

1 8.2
A person or thing that spreads harmful ideas and bad habits
  • noun
  • /ɪnˈfɛktər/
translation icon : propagador
  • The infector of negative thoughts can ruin a team's morale.

Examples

  • He was seen as an infector of bad habits in his group of friends.

  • Social media can act as an infector of negative attitudes among young people.

  • The rumor mill became a powerful infector of fear throughout the office.

  • Some people act as an infector of bad habits among their friends.

  • The politician was criticized for being an infector of divisive rhetoric during the campaign.

  • In the story, the character served as an infector, spreading pessimism among the townspeople.

  • She noticed how certain influencers acted as infectors, promoting harmful beauty standards on social media.

Synonyms

propagator
vsinfector
1 7.3

A person who spreads news or ideas to other people

focuses on spreading harmful or damaging ideas to others

Antonyms

inspirer
1 5.8

A person who encourages people and makes them want to act

How Influential

infector
1 8.2
instigator
12 6.8

Surface Forms

infector singular
infectors plural

Morphology

infector = infect (transparent) = infect + or

The agentive formation 'infect' + '-or' yields 'one who spreads' and is easily extended metaphorically to ideas or behaviours.

Etymology

Infector comes from the verb infect, built from in- 'into' and -fect 'make', the same root you see in factory. So a figurative infector is something that 'puts' harmful ideas or habits into people, which is why we use it for things that spread bad influence.