plural fungi
ˈfən-ˌjī 
ˈfəŋ-ˌgī
also funguses
ˈfəŋ-gə-səz
ˈfəŋ-ˌgī
also funguses
ˈfəŋ-gə-səz
often attributive
: any of a kingdom (Fungi) of saprophytic and parasitic spore-producing eukaryotic typically filamentous organisms formerly classified as plants that lack chlorophyll and include molds, rusts, mildews, smuts, mushrooms, and yeasts
Examples of fungus in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There’s a fungus among us As the climate crisis intensifies, researchers say Aspergillus, a common group of infection-causing fungi, will spread to new regions of the planet.
—
Jade Walker, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
Hardy elms survived Dutch elm disease is caused by a fungus that can be spread by a bark beetle or through two trees that have interconnected roots.
—Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 24 May 2025
The fungus lives on the excreta of scale and whitefly insects.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 May 2025
What is Valley fever? Valley fever is a lung infection caused by breathing in spores from Coccidioides, a fungus that lives in the soil and dust in certain regions of the United States and the world, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
—Terry Collins, USA Today, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fungus
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jade Walker, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
Hardy elms survived Dutch elm disease is caused by a fungus that can be spread by a bark beetle or through two trees that have interconnected roots.
—Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 24 May 2025
The fungus lives on the excreta of scale and whitefly insects.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 May 2025
What is Valley fever? Valley fever is a lung infection caused by breathing in spores from Coccidioides, a fungus that lives in the soil and dust in certain regions of the United States and the world, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
—Terry Collins, USA Today, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fungus
Cite this Entry
“Fungus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fungus. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fungus
noun
fun·gus
ˈfəŋ-gəs
1
: any of a kingdom of living things (as molds, rusts, mildews, smuts, and mushrooms) that lack chlorophyll, are parasitic or live on dead or decaying organic matter, and were formerly considered plants
2
: infection with a fungus
fungus
adjective
Medical Definition
fungus
noun
fun·gus
ˈfəŋ-gəs
plural fungi
ˈfən-ˌjī also ˈfəŋ-ˌgī
also funguses
ˈfəŋ-gə-səz
often attributive
1
: any of the kingdom Fungi of saprophytic and parasitic spore-producing eukaryotic typically filamentous organisms formerly classified as plants that lack chlorophyll and include molds, rusts, mildews, smuts, mushrooms, and yeasts
2
: infection with a fungus
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share