virulent
Americanadjective
adjective
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(of a microorganism) extremely infective
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(of a disease) having a rapid course and violent effect
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extremely poisonous, injurious, etc
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extremely bitter, hostile, etc
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of virulent
1350–1400; Middle English verulent < Latin vīrulentus, equivalent to vīr ( us ) poison ( see virus) + -ulentus -ulent
Explanation
A virulent disease is one that's infectious, spreading, and making lots of people sick, while a virulent rant is just a verbal attack, causing sickness of the emotional kind. Either way, something virulent puts a strain on the people who get it. Two meanings come out of the roots for virulent: "poisonous" and "spiteful." The virus-carrying meaning of virulent often gets combined with strain, such as in a "virulent strain of the flu." Those who aren’t carrying disease but are still considered virulent most likely lash out at others with a biting tone. Unleashing acid-tongued words on someone would be considered a virulent attack.
Vocabulary lists containing virulent
100 SAT Words Beginning with "V"
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"A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner
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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The threat is real: The Virulent Newcastle disease led to the deaths of more than one million birds in California in 2019.
From Washington Post • May 9, 2022
Virulent corruption compromised the security forces in other ways.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 9, 2019
Virulent opposition to vaccines is as old as vaccines themselves.
From The Guardian • Jul. 13, 2019
Virulent, it passes between people via sneezing, coughing, even talking, and is capable of lingering in the air or on a surface.
From Washington Times • May 8, 2019
Virulent organisms are often found upon the skin of perfectly healthy persons, where they appear to be harmless unless an abrasion occurs which affords entrance into the deeper tissues.
From American Red Cross Text-Book on Home Hygiene and Care of the Sick by Cross, American Red
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
