Basic Details
Word: Epidemic
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: A sudden increase in the number of cases of a disease that is more than what is normally expected in a particular area.
Synonyms: Outbreak, plague, contagion
Antonyms: Control, remedy, prevention
Idioms and Phrases
- Falling like dominoes: Used to describe a situation where one event causes a series of related events to happen. Example: "The flu epidemic spread quickly, and soon everyone was falling like dominoes."
- Spread like wildfire: To describe something that grows or spreads quickly and uncontrollably, similar to an epidemic. Example: "After the news broke out, the excitement spread like wildfire through the school."
Usage Examples
Example 1: The health officials were concerned about the rapid spread of the epidemic in the community.
Example 2: Schools were closed as a precaution to prevent the epidemic from affecting more children.
Example 3: The city launched a campaign to educate people on how to stop the epidemic from growing worse.
Fun Fact
Did you know the word "epidemic" comes from the Greek words "epi," meaning "upon," and "demos," meaning "people"? This history shows how diseases can affect entire populations at once.
Famous Quote
"Epidemics, like war, bring out the best and the worst in humanity." John Horgan
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. What does "epidemic" mean?
a) A type of medicine
b) A long-lasting disease
c) A sudden increase in cases of a disease
d) A type of food
Answer: c) A sudden increase in cases of a disease
2. Which of these is a synonym of "epidemic"?
a) Plague
b) Germ
c) Hospital
d) Vaccine
Answer: a) Plague
3. Which word is an antonym of "epidemic"?
a) Growth
b) Control
c) Spread
d) Increase
Answer: b) Control
4. Which sentence correctly uses the word "epidemic"?
a) The epidemic was a great teacher.
b) The epidemic was travelling across the sea.
c) The team worked hard to combat the epidemic in town.
d) The epidemic flowers bloomed beautifully in spring.
Answer: c) The team worked hard to combat the epidemic in town.
5. Which idiom means the same as something spreading quickly?
a) Spread like wildfire
b) Falling like dominoes
c) By the skin of your teeth
d) The icing on the cake
Answer: a) Spread like wildfire
