epidemic
Definitions
A sudden, widespread outbreak of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time.
流行病，某一时期在社区中突然广泛暴发的传染病。
A rapid, widespread occurrence of something undesirable.
（不良事物的）盛行、泛滥。
Spreading rapidly and widely among many people.
流行性的，在人群中迅速广泛传播的。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedepi- (upon, among) + dem (people) + -ic = '(falling) upon the people.' A disease that breaks out over a community for a time. Compare endemic (stays in one place) and pandemic (reaches all). The prefix is the dial that sets how far it spreads.
Root demo still carries 9 more wordsCommon Collocations
- 1.flu epidemic流感疫情
- 2.contain an epidemic控制疫情
- 3.epidemic proportions流行病规模
- 4.obesity epidemic肥胖症泛滥
Example Sentences
- 1.
The flu epidemic forced several schools to close for a week.
- 2.
Doctors worked around the clock to contain the cholera epidemic.
- 3.
There is a growing epidemic of loneliness among young people.
- 4.
The disease reached epidemic proportions within a month.
Easily Confused
epidemic vs pandemic vs endemic — all about disease 'among the people,' separated by reach. Endemic = always present in one region (malaria is endemic to the tropics). Epidemic = a sudden outbreak in a community. Pandemic = an epidemic that has spread across countries and continents. Scale: endemic < epidemic < pandemic.