highly contagious
9
3.4
- adjective
- /ˈhaɪli kənˈteɪdʒəs/
:
altamente contagioso
- Bordetella pertussis and B. parapertussis commonly cause whooping cough, a highly contagious, acute coughing illness, in humans (1, 2).
- highly contagious disease
- highly contagious virus
It was highly contagious to humans from the start.
- It was highly contagious to humans from the start.
Examples
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Severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, is a highly contagious respiratory illness that can cause severe illness and death.
Academic text (2006) -
During outbreaks, it is important to stay away from others if you have a highly contagious illness.
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During the third stage, the victim becomes highly contagious.
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It's highly contagious, and in some cases it can be fatal.
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Scientists have now given a name to this mysterious and highly contagious disease.
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The disease is highly contagious, and before preventive control, it spread rapidly through the population.
Academic text (1996) -
Rotavirus is highly contagious and is a major cause of childhood illness, hospitalizations, and even death.
Academic text (2002) -
Brucellosis is a highly contagious zoonosis caused by ingestion of unsterilized milk or meat from infected cows or close contact with their secretions.
Academic text (2012) -
Measles is a highly contagious disease that spreads easily among groups of children.
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The doctor warned that the flu is highly contagious and can quickly infect others in close contact.
Synonyms
108
3.1
Something that spreads from one person to another, like a disease or feeling
26
4.0
A feeling or disease that spreads quickly to other people
9
4.2
Able to pass from one person to another and cause sickness
3
5.3
Able to pass from one person or animal to another by infection
2
3.9
Able to pass from one person or animal to another
1
7.4
Able to make people sick and spread disease
Very likely to make people sick
Able to spread from one person to another, like a cold
Antonyms
How Contagious
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'highly' (an intensifier meaning 'extremely') plus 'contagious' (capable of being spread), so a learner who knows both words can infer 'very easily spread'. This intensifier + adjective pattern is common and cross-linguistically transparent, making it immediately understandable to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Highly contagious paints a simple picture: a sick person coughing, touching or sneezing and the illness quickly jumping from one person to another. Highly means 'very' and contagious points to catching a disease by contact, so the phrase means 'very easy to spread'.