epidemic
nounUK /ˌep.ɪˈdem.ɪk/
US /ˌep.əˈdem.ɪk/
A sickness that spreads quickly to many people at the same time.
The flu epidemic kept many students home from school.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A sudden fast increase in something bad, like a problem or behavior.
The town faced an epidemic of car thefts last summer.
3. A disease that spreads very fast and affects a whole community.
Doctors worked hard to stop the cholera epidemic.
4. Used to describe something that spreads very quickly, like a disease.
Laughter became epidemic in the classroom after the joke.