- "Infectuous" is an incorrect spelling of the word "infectious."
- "Infectious" is an adjective that describes something capable of spreading or transmitting a disease, emotion, or influence.
For example...
❌ Her laughter was so contagious that it spread throughout the room, creating an infectuous atmosphere of joy and merriment.
✅ Her laughter was so contagious that it spread throughout the room, creating an infectious atmosphere of joy and merriment.
In this sentence, "infectious" describes the quality of her laughter, indicating that it had the power to spread and influence others, similar to how a contagious disease spreads.
❌ Her laughter was so contagious that it spread throughout the room, creating an infectuous atmosphere of joy and merriment.
✅ Her laughter was so contagious that it spread throughout the room, creating an infectious atmosphere of joy and merriment.
In this sentence, "infectious" describes the quality of her laughter, indicating that it had the power to spread and influence others, similar to how a contagious disease spreads.
What does "infectious" mean?
"Infectious" encompasses various meanings depending on the context, but it primarily relates to the ability of something to spread or transmit:
- Capable of spreading or transmitting a disease: When used in the context of illness, "infectious" refers to the capacity of a pathogen, such as a virus or bacteria, to be transmitted from one person to another through direct or indirect contact. Diseases such as the flu, measles, and COVID-19 are examples of infectious diseases that can easily spread from person to person.
- Likely to spread or influence others: Beyond its medical connotations, "infectious" can describe qualities or behaviors that have a contagious effect on others. This could include emotions such as laughter, joy, enthusiasm, or positivity, as well as attitudes, ideas, or trends. When something is described as infectious in this sense, it means that it has the power to inspire or affect others in a similar manner.
The use of "infectuous" and "infectious" over time
The Ngram graph below shows how often "infectuous" and "infectious" have been used from the 1800s to the 2000s. "Infectious" has seen steady use throughout time, peaking in the 1900s before declining, while its misspelling "infectuous" has always seen nearly zero use.
How to pronounce "infectious"
In both British and American English, "infectious" is pronounced like "uhn·fek·shuhs".
Additional notes:
This is just the standard pronunciation, and there may be slight variations depending on regional accents and individual speech patterns.
This is just the standard pronunciation, and there may be slight variations depending on regional accents and individual speech patterns.
Why would we misspell "infectious" as "infectuous"?
- Typographical error: The letters "i", "o", and "u" are adjacent on a standard keyboard, making it easy to mistype "infectious" as "infectuous" when typing quickly or carelessly.
- Phonetic confusion: "Infectious" and "infectuous" sound similar when spoken, especially since the vowel combinations of "-ious" and "-uous" have similar pronunciations. This could lead to the misspelling "infectuous".
Other common misspellings of "infectious"
- infectuous
- infectous
- infectios
- infectius
- infectuos
Example sentences of the misspelling of "infectious" as "infectuous"
- "Infectuous" is an incorrect spelling; it should be "infectious".
- Please note the spelling error; it's "infectious," not "infectuous".
- Be cautious with your spelling; the accurate term is "infectious," not "infectuous".
- Double-check your writing; the proper form is "infectious," not "infectuous".
- Your document contains a typo; it should say "infectious," not "infectuous".
Example sentences of "infectious"
- The flu virus is highly infectious, spreading rapidly among close contacts.
- Her positive attitude was infectious, lifting the spirits of everyone around her.
- The song's catchy melody and upbeat rhythm created an infectious energy that had everyone dancing.
- The rumor quickly became infectious, spreading throughout the community like wildfire.
- The comedian's humor was so infectious that the audience couldn't stop laughing.
- Social media has made misinformation more infectious, spreading false narratives to a wide audience.
- Laughter is often described as infectious, as it has the power to spread joy and positivity.
- The enthusiasm of the crowd was infectious, fueling the team's determination to win.
- The teacher's passion for the subject was infectious, inspiring students to engage more deeply in their studies.
- The artist's creativity was infectious, sparking inspiration in those around her.
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Synonyms for "infectious"
- Contagious
- Spreading
- Transmissible
- Catching
- Propagating
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