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

They measured viral exposure both in the air participants breathed and in the room itself.

From Science Daily

The author of a viral post on Venezuela, relating from personal experience its difficult day-to-day conditions, admits he was shocked by how far his message spread.

From MarketWatch

Today, about one percent of people carry these inherited viral copies.

From Science Daily

"I woke up the next day and it was kind of viral, and pretty much every record label under the sun was in my inbox," he recalls.

From BBC

The disease develops when repeated or long-term liver damage -- caused by viral hepatitis, excessive alcohol use, metabolic disorders, toxins, or autoimmune disease -- triggers an overactive healing response.

From Science Daily