superbug
noun
su·per·bug
| \ ˈsü-pər-ˌbəg
\
\
Definition of superbug
: 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
After consulting the state health department, the hospital also decided to check the patient for any superbugs that might have been picked up overseas. — Maryn Mckenna, WIRED, "The Desperate Race to Neutralize a Lethal Superbug Yeast," 13 Aug. 2019 Google has been quietly going through internal hell, Trump is delaying tariffs on some electronics, and a deadly superbug yeast is making its way through hospitals. — Adam Rogers, WIRED, "Google's Hellish 3 Years, Trump's Tariff Delay, and More News," 13 Aug. 2019 The peril of overusing antibiotics became apparent in the 1990s when MRSA (short for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), a deadly superbug, began terrorising hospitals in Europe and America. — The Economist, "Attack of the superbugs: July 2041," 5 July 2019 It's usually treated with antifungal medicine but widespread overuse of antibiotics and antifungals has bred this superbug species of candida known as auris. — CBS News, "Hospitals mobilize to fight deadly superbug doctors call a "double whammy"," 30 July 2019 Since there may be other factors that have led to the emergence of this superbug, the authors suggest more research is needed. — Jen Christensen, CNN, "Climate crisis might be behind the rise of mysterious superbug C. auris, study suggests," 23 July 2019 The superbug is resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics, a broad-spectrum group which includes methicillin as well as oxacillin and the cephalosporins. — Ranjit Devraj, Quartz India, "Superbugs have returned to haunt India’s hospitals," 23 July 2019 And chemicals on amphibian skin can help fight superbugs that current antibiotics cannot stop. — Bruce Finley, The Denver Post, "Battle to save Colorado high-country toads goes microbial with ground-breaking Purple Rain treatment," 13 July 2019 Working together as a phage cocktail, lytic phages can target and destroy superbugs. — B David Zarley, The Verge, "These superbug-fighting viruses are making a comeback," 5 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'superbug.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for superbug
superbug
noun
su·per·bug
| \ ˈsü-pər-ˌbəg
\
\
Medical Definition of superbug
: 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, 7 Sept. 2010