noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈs(j)uːpəˌspɹɛdə/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈsupɚˌspɹɛdɚ/
1
noun
Meaning 1
A person infected with a pathogen who is responsible for spreading it to many other people.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: epidemiology, medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: superinfector
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
An event or place which leads to the spread of an infectious disease to many people.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: also, attributive
Topics: epidemiology, medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A person or thing responsible for the widespread distribution of something regarded as dangerous or undesirable (for example, misinformation).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From super- (“superior”) + spreader.
Across languages
Translations
20 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Chinese Mandarin:
超級傳播者 /超级传播者
(chāojí chuánbōzhě)
— person infected with a pathogen who is responsible for spreading it to many other people
Finnish:
supertartuttaja
— person infected with a pathogen who is responsible for spreading it to many other people
French:
superpropagateur
— person infected with a pathogen who is responsible for spreading it to many other people
French:
superpropagatrice
— person infected with a pathogen who is responsible for spreading it to many other people
French:
superinfecteur
— person infected with a pathogen who is responsible for spreading it to many other people
French:
superinfectrice
— person infected with a pathogen who is responsible for spreading it to many other people
French:
supercontaminateur
— person infected with a pathogen who is responsible for spreading it to many other people
French:
supercontaminatrice
— person infected with a pathogen who is responsible for spreading it to many other people
German:
Superverbreiter
— person infected with a pathogen who is responsible for spreading it to many other people
German:
Superverbreiterin
— person infected with a pathogen who is responsible for spreading it to many other people
Greek:
υπερμεταδότης
(ypermetadótis)
— person infected with a pathogen who is responsible for spreading it to many other people
Greek:
υπερμεταδοτικός φορέας
(ypermetadotikós foréas)
— person infected with a pathogen who is responsible for spreading it to many other people
Korean:
슈퍼전파자
(syupeojeonpaja)
— person infected with a pathogen who is responsible for spreading it to many other people
Norwegian Bokmål:
superspreder
— person infected with a pathogen who is responsible for spreading it to many other people
Spanish:
supercontagiador
— person infected with a pathogen who is responsible for spreading it to many other people
Spanish:
supercontagiadora
— person infected with a pathogen who is responsible for spreading it to many other people
Spanish:
supervector
— person infected with a pathogen who is responsible for spreading it to many other people
Swedish:
superspridare
— person infected with a pathogen who is responsible for spreading it to many other people
Turkish:
süper-yayıcı
— person infected with a pathogen who is responsible for spreading it to many other people
Finnish:
viruslinko
— event or place which leads to the spread of an infectious disease to many people