morbific

9.9

Able to cause disease in people or animals

adjective
/mɔrˈbɪfɪk/

Archaic

: morbífico

The morbific bacteria in the contaminated water led to an outbreak of illness.

Examples

Exposure to morbific chemicals can result in serious health complications.
Doctors warned that the morbific effects of the virus could spread rapidly if precautions were not taken.
We have long known that communism and fascism were not only often bitter enemies but also exhibited numerous parallels (n28), and now we know why: they were products of the same time period and of many of the same wrenching, divisive, potentially morbific social and political forces.

Academic text (1999)

Synonyms

virulent

vsmorbific

Specialized

14 9.1

Very harmful and able to cause disease that spreads quickly

indicates disease capability without implying extreme harm or speed

pathogenic

vsmorbific

Specialized

5 7.0

Able to cause disease in people, animals or plants

is the same in meaning but more unusual or literary in use

infective

vsmorbific

Specialized

1 7.4

Able to make people sick and spread disease

focuses on causing disease rather than spreading infection

Antonyms

therapeutic

87 5.2

Helping a person feel better physically or mentally

healthful

15 3.2

Good for the body and keeps you from getting sick

How Pathogenic

virulent

Specialized

14 9.1

morbific

Archaic

9.9

pathogenic

Specialized

5 7.0

innocuous

30 6.5

Surface Forms

morbific positive

Morphology

morbific = morbid (semi-transparent) = morb + ific

The suffix '-ific' indicates causing or making, but the specific meaning of causing disease is not immediately clear from 'morbid'.

Etymology

Morbific comes from the Latin morbus meaning 'disease' and the part -fic meaning 'making', and it is related to the common English word morbid. So, morbific means 'causing disease' or able to make people ill.