virulence

noun

vir·​u·​lence ˈvir-ə-lən(t)s  ˈvir-yə- 

: the quality or state of being virulent: such as

a

: extreme bitterness or malevolence : rancor

the virulence of their hatred

She said the rising virulence of the rhetoric against Muslims has flooded her with sadness, grief, alienation and fear.

—Laura DaSilva

But the virulence of the campaign, on both sides … provides a clue to the deeper forces at work: the polarizing of politics in a traditionally moderate place.

—The Economist

b

: the relative capacity of a pathogen (such as a bacterium or virus) to overcome a host's defenses and cause disease or damage : the degree of pathogenicity of a causative agent of disease

a bacterial strain of low virulence

the virulence of a novel virus

also : the ability to overcome a host's defenses and cause disease or damage : the state of being pathogenic

With its newly acquired virulence, this otherwise mild-mannered avian influenza virus went wild.

—Rick Weiss

c

: relative severity or malignancy

Breast cancer is as diverse as the breast itself, appearing in many different guises. Some cancers seem to erupt out of ordinary breast issue with an awesome virulence, spreading rapidly throughout the body.

—David Plotkin

Synonyms

• acidity
• acidness
• acridity
• acridness
• acrimony
• asperity
• bile
• bitterness
• cattiness
• corrosiveness
• mordancy
• tartness
• virulency
• vitriol

Examples of virulence in a Sentence

I was surprised by the virulence of the criticism.

Recent Examples on the Web

Influenza may be the world’s most familiar viral pathogen—its genome, virulence, and transmission patterns have been studied for decades. —Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 5 May 2024

But the disease has surged with particular virulence in Brazil, where epidemiologists expect the number of dengue cases to reach into the millions — more than doubling the previous record — and potentially kill thousands of people. —Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French & Latin; borrowed from French, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Late Latin vīrulentia "poisonous odor, infection," from Latin vīrulentus "full of poison, venomous" + -ia -ia entry 1 — more at virulent

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing virulence

• hyper-virulence

Kids Definition

virulence

noun

vir·​u·​lence ˈvir-(y)ə-lən(t)s 

: the quality or state of being virulent

Medical Definition

virulence

noun

vir·​u·​lence ˈvir-(y)ə-lən(t)s 

: the quality or state of being virulent: as

a

: the relative capacity of a pathogen (as a bacterium or virus) to overcome a host's defenses and cause disease or damage : the degree of pathogenicity of a causative agent of disease

a bacterial strain of low virulence

attempted to determine the virulence of the newly identified virus

also : the ability to overcome a host's defenses and cause disease or damage : the state of being pathogenic

With its newly acquired virulence, this otherwise mild-mannered avian influenza virus went wild.

—Rick Weiss

b

: relative severity or malignancy

ameliorate the virulence of a disease