epidemics

IPA/ˌep.ɪˈdem.ɪk/
KK[ˌɛpədˈɛmɪks]IPA/ˌep.əˈdem.ɪk/

epidemics — noun

  • epidemicssingular
  • epidemicsesplural

1. a situation where a contagious disease spreads swiftly through a community, sick

1.名詞B2
釋義

a situation where a contagious disease spreads swiftly through a community, sickening vast numbers of people all at once

例句

In 2020, a lung disease epidemic forced Milan hospitals to set up outdoor tents.

[disease] + epidemic — disease name before the noun

The cholera epidemic in the rural village killed thirty people within one week.

同義詞
  • outbreak

    refers to the sudden start of a disease; less widespread than an epidemic

  • pandemic

    an epidemic that spreads across multiple countries or continents

  • plague

    a highly fatal epidemic; also used metaphorically but carries stronger negative emotion

文法句型

epidemic + of + [disease]

[disease] + epidemic

用法筆記

Frequently followed by 'of' + the name of the illness (e.g., 'an epidemic of cholera'). Can also be used in reverse order ('a cholera epidemic'). This sense refers only to biological disease, not to social problems.

常見錯誤

❌The cold weather caused an epidemic of flu last winter.
✅The cold weather caused a flu epidemic last winter.
💡When the disease name comes before 'epidemic', no 'of' is needed.
❌The government declared a violence epidemic.
✅The government declared a violence epidemic in the capital.
💡'Epidemic' used literally applies to infectious disease, not abstract social problems.

2. a situation in which a serious social problem or bad behavior spreads rapidly an

2.名詞B2
釋義

a situation in which a serious social problem or bad behavior spreads rapidly and affects a very large number of people in a community or society

例句

The city declared a homelessness epidemic after finding eight hundred people sleeping on the streets.

Sora described rising teenage anxiety as an epidemic that schools could not handle.

describe + [something] as an epidemic — metaphorical usage pattern

同義詞
  • crisis

    a time of intense difficulty or danger; can be shorter-term than an epidemic

  • surge

    a sudden increase; does not carry the same sense of widespread harm

  • wave

    a large number of events occurring at the same time; milder than epidemic

文法句型

epidemic + of + [problem]

[problem] + epidemic

用法筆記

Unlike sense 1, this sense does not refer to a real disease. The subject is typically a social issue (homelessness, cheating, violence) rather than a medical condition. The plural form 'epidemics' is rarer in this sense.

常見錯誤

❌There is an obesity epidemic in this country, so people should eat less sugar.
✅Obesity has reached epidemic levels in this country.
💡'Obesity epidemic' is acceptable as a metaphor, but the correction shows a more natural phrasing.
❌The epidemic of poverty needs to be cured with medicine.
✅The epidemic of poverty needs to be addressed through better social policies.
💡Figurative epidemics are solved with policy, not medicine.

epidemics — adjective