viral

American  

[vahy-ruhl] / ˈvaɪ rəl /

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.

   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.

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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.

viral British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• antiviral adjective

Etymology

Origin of viral

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

Example Sentences

When this structural framework falls apart, human cells interpret the breakdown as if they are under viral attack.

From Science Daily

It has ominous echoes of the viral Citrini Research note that rocked markets earlier this week.

From Barron's

The viral photo of golden-goal-scoring forward Jack Hughes, smiling widely with two teeth missing and an American flag draped around his shoulder, instantly entered the realm of American sporting lore.

From Los Angeles Times

“AI isn’t replacing one specific skill. It’s a general substitute for cognitive work…Whatever you retrain for, it’s improving at that too,” AI investor Matt Shumer wrote in a viral X post two weeks ago.

From The Wall Street Journal

It does oblige platforms to remove the material they can prove to be foreign influence - a process that often takes too long in an online environment where videos can go viral within hours.

From BBC