viral

adjective

vi·​ral ˈvī-rəl 

1

: of, relating to, or caused by a virus

a viral infection

2

: quickly and widely spread or popularized especially by means of social media

a viral video

virally

ˈvī-rə-lē 

adverb

Examples of viral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And now, Mushi has gone viral again, with a video posted to his official TikTok account @mushimaltipoo on August 6. —Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025

Thanks to a starring role in the viral Dubai chocolate bar—creamy pistachio paste with shredded phyllo dough (knafeh) and milk chocolate—the buttery, slightly sweet nut is breaking out of its shell. —Sonal Dutt, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025

Perhaps the festival is most known for a viral photo of an employee took of a sandwich – a slice of bread with a single piece of cheese on top. —Greta Cross, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025

Footage of their joint gesture went viral on social media. —Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

vir(us) + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing viral

• viral load
• viral marketing

Rhymes for viral

• chiral
• spiral
• adenoviral
• antiretroviral
• antiviral
• retroviral

Kids Definition

viral

adjective

vi·​ral ˈvī-rəl 

1

: of, relating to, or caused by a virus

a viral infection

2

: quickly and widely spread or popularized especially by person-to-person electronic communication

a viral video

Medical Definition

viral

adjective

vi·​ral ˈvī-rəl 

: of, relating to, or caused by a virus

viral infections

virally

-rə-lē 

adverb