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

Explanation

If you go to work when you're sick, your co-workers will be hoping that whatever you've got isn't viral. Viral describes a disease caused by a virus, and viruses are usually infectious. Infections and other kinds of diseases can be classified as viral by a doctor, which means they're caused by viruses, specific kinds of microorganisms. Because of the speedy way that viral infections can spread, the meaning has grown to include the spread of ideas or information, often on the Internet. Viral videos are short online films that become incredibly popular very quickly, as people share them with each other and they spread like a virus.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

viral

In May, posts emerged online accusing refugees of not properly disposing of animals sacrificed during the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha and quickly went viral.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

Diabetes, viral infections and nerve compression are among the conditions that can lead to this type of pain.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026

Perhaps his most viral moment came this summer, when he found himself the only member of the Royal Box to stick around for the start of a late match.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

We tend to assume the next clever kitchen system will come from a new cookbook, a viral freezer hack or somebody else’s meticulously labeled meal-prep containers.

From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026

Well, one who’d, yet again, been the star of a viral video.

From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty