Standard Lemma guide

superspreader

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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • 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