viral

[ vahy-ruhl ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or caused by a virus.
2. pertaining to or involving the spreading of information and opinions about a product or service from person to person, especially on the internet or in emails: viral marketing.

   a clever viral ad.

3. becoming very popular by circulating quickly from person to person, especially through the internet:

   the most memorable viral videos;

   This book is already viral two weeks before its official publication date.

4. pertaining to a computer virus.

viral

/ ˈvaɪrəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or caused by a virus
2. (of a video, image, story, etc) spread quickly and widely among internet users via social networking sites, e-mail, etc

Other Words From

• anti·viral adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of viral¹

First recorded in 1935–40; vir(us) + -al ¹

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. go viral, to spread rapidly via the internet, email, or other media:

   Footage of the candidate's off-color remarks went viral within minutes.

Example Sentences

LRAs are a critical component of HIV cure research due to their role in what is called "kick and kill," the idea that HIV can be reawakened and actively targeted to eliminate the viral reservoir.

From Science Daily

After the destruction, Smith wrote a song with a friend called “One of These Days” that went viral on Facebook.

From Los Angeles Times

Show Racism the Red Card also called out viral social media posts linking Asian players to the coronavirus outbreak in 2020.

From BBC

The product became notorious for its viral launch - with only a limited stocks made available, Prime spawned a re-sale market with bottles being advertised for hundreds of pounds.

From BBC

But by Tuesday, four days ahead of its crosstown matchup with UCLA, it had finally caught up with Lincoln Riley, whose third rivalry week at USC now promises to be an especially viral one.

From Los Angeles Times