virulent

[ vir-yuh-luhnt, vir-uh- ]

adjective

1. actively poisonous; intensely noxious:

   a virulent insect bite.

   Synonyms: venomous

   Antonyms: harmless

2. Medicine/Medical. highly infective; malignant or deadly.
3. Bacteriology. causing clinical symptoms.
4. violently or spitefully hostile.
5. intensely bitter, spiteful, or malicious:

   a virulent attack.

   Synonyms: acerbic, vicious

virulent

/ ˈvɪrʊlənt /

adjective

1. 1. (of a microorganism) extremely infective
   2. (of a disease) having a rapid course and violent effect
2. extremely poisonous, injurious, etc
3. extremely bitter, hostile, etc

Derived Forms

• ˈvirulently, adverb

Other Words From

• viru·lent·ly adverb
• hyper·viru·lent adjective
• hyper·viru·lent·ly adverb
• non·viru·lent adjective
• non·viru·lent·ly adverb
• super·viru·lent adjective
• super·viru·lent·ly adverb
• un·viru·lent adjective
• un·viru·lent·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of virulent¹

1350–1400; Middle English verulent < Latin vīrulentus, equivalent to vīr ( us ) poison ( virus ) + -ulentus -ulent

Word History and Origins

Origin of virulent¹

C14: from Latin vīrulentus full of poison, from vīrus poison; see virus

Example Sentences

They’re "a particularly virulent, violent form of white preservationists."

From Salon

They’re “a particularly virulent, violent form of white preservationists,” he said.

From Salon

They were virulent and undeniably scary.

From Salon

She said the virus may in the end not end up becoming more virulent or efficient at moving between people, “but I don’t think we want to wait around and on the chance that it might.”

From Los Angeles Times

But as adrenaline-pounding as virulent misogyny is in the moment, in the longer term, it's just going to make men's problems much worse.

From Salon

Related Words

• acrimonious
• bitter
• hateful
• malicious
• rancorous
• scathing
• vicious
• vitriolic