No, acne is not contagious. You cannot catch it from touching someone else's skin.

What is the difference between acne and a pimple?

Acne is the name of the skin disease or condition. A pimple (or spot/zit) is one single, small inflamed lesion that can be part of acne.

Yes, adult acne is very common, especially among women, and can be related to hormonal changes, stress, or genetics.

Does chocolate cause acne?

Current scientific consensus finds no direct, strong link between eating chocolate and causing acne for most people. However, high-glycemic diets and some dairy products may worsen acne in susceptible individuals.

acne

UK/ˈæk.ni/US/ˈæk.ni/

Neutral to technical; common in everyday, medical, and cosmetic contexts.

My Flashcards

Definition

Meaning

A common skin condition characterized by inflamed or infected sebaceous glands, resulting in pimples, especially on the face.

Broadly, any skin eruption or condition involving comedones, pustules, or cysts; can be used metaphorically to describe a cluster of small, undesirable spots or problems.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

Acne is a non-count noun referring to the condition; individual lesions are pimples, spots, or zits. It implies a recurring or chronic condition, not a single pimple.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

Vocabulary differs: Brits often say 'spots' for pimples; Americans more commonly say 'zits' or 'pimples'. The word 'acne' itself is identical in use.

Connotations

Slightly more medical/clinical connotation in UK; in US, it's a very common everyday word, especially among teens and in advertising.

Frequency

Equally frequent in both varieties; central to teenage and young adult discourse.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong

severe acnetreat acneacne vulgaristeenage acneacne breakout

medium

clear up acnesuffer from acneacne scarshormonal acnecontrol acne

weak

bad acneacne problemget acnefight acneadult acne

Grammar

Valency Patterns

have acnesuffer from acnetreat (for) acnebe prone to acneclear up acne

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

acne vulgaris (medical)comedonal acne (technical)

Neutral

skin conditionspots (UK)breakouteruption

Weak

blemishespimpleszits (US informal)

Vocabulary

Antonyms

clear skinblemish-free complexionflawless skin

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

“[No common idioms with 'acne'; related: 'bad skin day']”

Usage

Context Usage

Business

In the cosmetics or pharmaceutical industry: 'The new cream targets adult acne.'

Academic

In dermatology or psychology: 'The study examined the psychosocial impact of adolescent acne.'

Everyday

Among friends: 'I think this new face wash is helping my acne.'

Technical

Medical diagnosis: 'The patient presents with moderate inflammatory acne on the cheeks and forehead.'

Examples

By Part of Speech

verb

British English

Her skin tends to acne quite badly in humid weather.
The treatment should help stop your face from acning.

American English

His back acned up after he started the new medication.
She's using a product so her skin won't acne.

adverb

British English

[No standard adverbial form; rarely used.]

American English

[No standard adverbial form; rarely used.]

adjective

British English

She has an acne-prone complexion.
He's looking for an effective acne treatment.

American English

This is an acne-fighting cleanser.
She struggles with acne-related scarring.

Examples

By CEFR Level

I don't like my acne.
Many teenagers have acne.
She wants medicine for her acne.

My younger brother has started to get acne on his forehead.
This face wash is supposed to help with acne.
Severe acne can make people feel very self-conscious.

After trying several treatments, she finally got her acne under control.
The dermatologist diagnosed him with hormonal acne, which is common in adults.
Persistent acne on the jawline is often linked to stress or diet.

The new topical retinoid has proven highly efficacious in mitigating inflammatory acne lesions.
Beyond its physiological aspects, acne can exert a profound psychosocial impact, affecting self-esteem and social interactions.
Research into the gut-skin axis suggests a potential link between microbiome health and the severity of acne vulgaris.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think: 'A Clear Neck Expected' – but ACNE often appears where you least want it (face, neck). Or: 'ACNE' = 'Affects Canines, Naturally? Er...' – No, it's for humans!

Conceptual Metaphor

Acne as an INVASION or BATTLE ('fight acne', 'breakout', 'flare-up'); Acne as DIRT/IMPURITY ('clear up', 'purify', 'clogged pores').

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

Avoid using 'угри' (ugri) in general English conversation; it's a direct medical loanword not used casually. Use 'acne' or 'spots/pimples'.
Do not translate 'прыщ' (pryshch) as 'jump' – it's a 'pimple'.
Acne is uncountable; you cannot say 'an acne' or 'acnes'.

Common Mistakes

Using it as a countable noun: 'I have an acne' (incorrect) vs. 'I have acne' or 'I have a pimple' (correct).
Confusing 'acne' (condition) with 'pimple' (single lesion).
Misspelling as 'ackne' or 'acnee'.

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap

Many adolescents from acne during puberty.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the most medically accurate term for common acne?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

: No, acne is not contagious. You cannot catch it from touching someone else's skin.
: Acne is the name of the skin disease or condition. A pimple (or spot/zit) is one single, small inflamed lesion that can be part of acne.
: Yes, adult acne is very common, especially among women, and can be related to hormonal changes, stress, or genetics.
: Current scientific consensus finds no direct, strong link between eating chocolate and causing acne for most people. However, high-glycemic diets and some dairy products may worsen acne in susceptible individuals.