as in male
of, relating to, or marked by qualities traditionally associated with men
men were once expected to be interested only in such virile activities as hunting
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of virile
The Victorians, perhaps sensing that Britain’s empire could not stay young and virile forever, took this Romantic dread and ran with it.
—
Matthew Redmond, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2025
New cassette players are being manufactured and competition is virile, musicians are releasing more and more records on the format and Amazon is selling old cassettes like a bumper crop.
—Spin Team, SPIN, 28 Nov. 2024
While a tabloid scandal and a terrorist plot don’t seem like fuel for a winning Oscar campaign, all of it contributed to Crowe’s image as a throwback to the days when Hollywood leading men were virile and larger than life.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2024
And John himself is a strong, virile man willing to take control of any situation.
—William Earl, Variety, 25 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for virile
Matthew Redmond, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2025
New cassette players are being manufactured and competition is virile, musicians are releasing more and more records on the format and Amazon is selling old cassettes like a bumper crop.
—Spin Team, SPIN, 28 Nov. 2024
While a tabloid scandal and a terrorist plot don’t seem like fuel for a winning Oscar campaign, all of it contributed to Crowe’s image as a throwback to the days when Hollywood leading men were virile and larger than life.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2024
And John himself is a strong, virile man willing to take control of any situation.
—William Earl, Variety, 25 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for virile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for virile
Adjective
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News voices in the 1970's tended to be somber, accent-less, and almost exclusively male.—
Scott Simon,
NPR,
6 Sep. 2025
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When first responders arrived, the male witness took his dogs home and his wife went to alert Samadi’s husband at their home, the reports said.—
Pam DeFiglio,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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His womenswear collection, introduced in 1975, quickly became known for easy shapes and masculine cuts with feminine qualities.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
4 Sep. 2025
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Set on a white-run construction site in West Africa, the story follows an edgy foreman anxiously awaiting his bride, whose presence meets resistance from a cocksure engineer clinging to the hyper-masculine status quo.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Virile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/virile. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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