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Definition of virile
1a : having traditionally masculine traits especially to a marked degreeb : characteristic of or associated with men : masculine
2 : having the nature, properties, or qualities of an adult male; specifically : capable of functioning as a male in copulation
virilely
adverbRead the Latest from M-W
Examples of virile in a Sentence
men were once expected to be interested only in such virile activities as hunting
Recent Examples of virile from the Web
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The WRX and its more virile alter-ego the WRX STI receive a few updates for 2018.
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Either these weren’t the most virile lambs or Cattlemen’s was heavily battering only tiny shards of lamb family jewels to goose the profitability of the $9.95 appetizer.
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Nick Morton (Tom Cruise), the dashing hero of Alex Kurtzman’s preposterous extravaganza The Mummy, is a virile fortune hunter, the kind of roustabout who shoots first, asks questions later, and always gets the girl.
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Hard bop, in all its virile glory, has a hold on Davis, a supremely adept trombonist for whom the idiom is now as natural as his heartbeat.
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And as Riccardo, a Puritan colonel who had been promised Elvira’s hand, the virile baritone Alexey Markov sang with dark-hued richness, yet came across as bland.
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Thanks to advances in medical science, the virile, balding type may soon go the way of the dodo bird.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'virile'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of virile
Middle French or Latin; Middle French viril, from Latin virilis, from vir man, male; akin to Old English & Old High German wer man, Sanskrit vīra
Other Physiology Terms
VIRILE Defined for English Language Learners
virile
playDefinition of virile for English Language Learners
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: having or suggesting qualities (such as strength and sexual energy) that are associated with men and that are usually considered attractive in men
VIRILE Defined for Kids
virile
playDefinition of virile for Students
: having qualities generally associated with men
Medical Dictionary
Learn More about virile
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See words that rhyme with virile Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for virile Spanish Central: Translation of virile Nglish: Translation of virile for Spanish speakers
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