- 1a contagious disease spreads by people touching each other Scarlet fever is highly contagious. (figurative) His enthusiasm was contagious (= spread quickly to other people). a contagious laugh
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- 2[not usually before noun] if a person is contagious, they have a disease that can be spread to other people by touch compare infectious
adverbSee contagious in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Check pronunciation: contagious