outbreak

/ˈaʊtbɹeɪk/noun

The sudden start or rapid spread of something unpleasant, such as a disease.

Example sentence

“The town closed its schools during the flu outbreak.”

Reserved for bad things, disease above all; good news never gets an outbreak.

Related words

virusAn illness caused by an infectious viral agent.pandemicA disease that spreads across many countries and infects a very large share of the population.bacteriaA particular kind, species, or strain of these tiny single-celled organisms.epidemicAn outbreak of disease that spreads rapidly and affects large numbers of people at the same time.germA tiny living thing, such as a bacterium or virus, that can cause illness.quarantineA period of keeping people, animals, or plants separated from others to stop a disease from spreading.