Part 208

1. To make foolish; to affect with folly; to weaken the intellectual powers of, or to deprive of sound judgment.

The judgment of God will be very visible in infatuating a people . . . ripe and prepared for destruction.

Clarendon.

2. To inspire with a foolish and extravagant passion; as, to be infatuated with gaming.

The people are . . . infatuated with the notion.

Addison.

In*fat"u*a`ted (?), a. Overcome by some foolish passion or desire; affected by infatuation.

In*fat`u*a"tion (?), n. [LL. infatuatio: cf. F. infatuation.] The act of infatuating; the state of being infatuated; folly; that which infatuates.

The infatuations of the sensual and frivolous part of mankind are amazing; but the infatuations of the learned and sophistical are incomparably more so.

I. Taylor.

Such is the infatuation of self- love.

Blair.

In*faust" (?), a. [L. infaustus; pref. in- not + faustus fortunate, lucky.] Not favorable; unlucky; unpropitious; sinister. [R.] Ld. Lytton.

In*faust"ing (?), n. The act of making unlucky; misfortune; bad luck. [Obs.] Bacon.

In*fea`si*bil"i*ty (?), n. The state of being infeasible; impracticability.

In*fea"si*ble (?), a. Not capable of being done or accomplished; impracticable. Glanvill.

In*fea"si*ble*ness, n. The state of quality of being infeasible; infeasibility. W. Montagu.

In*fect" (?), a. [L. infectus: cf. F. infect. See Infect, v. t.] Infected. Cf. Enfect. [Obs.] Shak.

In*fect", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Infected; p. pr. & vb. n. Infecting.] [L. infectus, p. p. of inficere to put or dip into, to stain, infect; pref. in- in + facere to make; cf. F. infecter. See Fact.]

1. To taint with morbid matter or any pestilential or noxious substance or effluvium by which disease is produced; as, to infect a lancet; to infect an apartment.

2. To affect with infectious disease; to communicate infection to; as, infected with the plague.

Them that were left alive being infected with this disease.

Sir T. North.

3. To communicate to or affect with, as qualities or emotions, esp. bad qualities; to corrupt; to contaminate; to taint by the communication of anything noxious or pernicious. Cowper.

Infected Ston's daughters with like heat.

Milton.

4. (Law) To contaminate with illegality or to expose to penalty.

Syn. -- To poison; vitiate; pollute; defile.