superbug

noun

su·​per·​bug ˈsü-pər-ˌbəg How to pronounce superbug (audio)
: a pathogenic microorganism and especially a bacterium that has developed resistance to the medications normally used against it

Examples of superbug in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The team set out to create an antibiotic that would both preserve the gut microbiome while targeting gram-negative bacteria, a particularly hardy category of superbugs. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 20 June 2024 Also, in 2016, drug-resistant superbugs from hospital sewage were found in Rio de Janeiro’s Guanabara Bay. Billy Stockwell, CNN, 18 June 2024 This creature, now a viral mixing vessel, provides the medium for a superbug to develop — one that takes the killer genes from the bird flu and combines it with the human variety’s knack for easy infection. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 4 June 2024 And new data show the impact can still be seen in the number of infections caused by superbugs in U.S. hospitals. Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 29 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for superbug 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'superbug.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of superbug was in 1945

Dictionary Entries Near superbug

Cite this Entry

“Superbug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/superbug. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.

Medical Definition

superbug

noun
su·​per·​bug ˈsü-pər-ˌbəg How to pronounce superbug (audio)
: a pathogenic microorganism and especially a bacterium that has developed resistance to the medications normally used against it
The rise of superbugs that can survive multiple antibiotics—such as MRSA, the notorious "flesh-eating bacterium"—has turned once-trivial infections into persistent problems.Valerie Ross, Discover
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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