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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of virile
America is strong, America is virile.
—
David Remnick, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
And the possibility of a virile and serious and seriously taken black man—all three—is ignored in virtually the entire world of Cather’s and Hemingway’s fiction.
—Literary Hub, 3 Feb. 2026
And if the ecological action epic of 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water allowed the flower child side to dominate the auteur’s inner grunt, now the macho warrior re-emerges, hungry and determined and surprisingly virile.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Dec. 2025
Rather than prizing animals for their beauty, their virile traits or their straight-up cool characteristics, frogposting is all about vulnerable animals—the dweebs of the animal kingdom.
—Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for virile
David Remnick, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
And the possibility of a virile and serious and seriously taken black man—all three—is ignored in virtually the entire world of Cather’s and Hemingway’s fiction.
—Literary Hub, 3 Feb. 2026
And if the ecological action epic of 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water allowed the flower child side to dominate the auteur’s inner grunt, now the macho warrior re-emerges, hungry and determined and surprisingly virile.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Dec. 2025
Rather than prizing animals for their beauty, their virile traits or their straight-up cool characteristics, frogposting is all about vulnerable animals—the dweebs of the animal kingdom.
—Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for virile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for virile
Adjective
-
The all-male bar staff wear matching aprons with leather straps over striped shirts, while music from the likes of Bruno Mars plays overhead.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
-
The Harvard Apple Women’s Health Study noted in a May 2025 update that women who exercise regularly show lower all-cause mortality than male counterparts at equivalent activity levels.—
Allison Palmer
June 4,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
And when our culture measures worth and success by standards that continue to be profoundly masculine and heroic?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
In Chinese medicine, the concept of yang energy, often associated with strength, speed, and expansive movement, offers one model of masculine energy without cultural baggage.—
Paula Chesley,
STAT,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Virile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/virile. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
