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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Recent Examples of virile
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
All research seems to indicate that this back-to-back joke from 1985 was the lodestar for the meme of a socially inept teen feigning virile worldliness with a gal in America's northern neighbor country.
—Jordan Hoffman Updated, EW.com, 2 Aug. 2025
During his campaign for reelection in 2024, Trump, who turns 79 in June, sold digital trading cards that featured virile depictions of himself as a cowboy, superhero and astronaut, among other images.
—Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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
All research seems to indicate that this back-to-back joke from 1985 was the lodestar for the meme of a socially inept teen feigning virile worldliness with a gal in America's northern neighbor country.
—Jordan Hoffman Updated, EW.com, 2 Aug. 2025
During his campaign for reelection in 2024, Trump, who turns 79 in June, sold digital trading cards that featured virile depictions of himself as a cowboy, superhero and astronaut, among other images.
—Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for virile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for virile
Adjective
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Officers located a vehicle in the driveway of the home with an adult male suspect, later identified as 37-year-old Zachary Bigelow of Bristol, seated inside.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
19 Mar. 2026
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Drawing from her experiences working as a crime reporter and then in the Virginia medical examiner’s office, Cornwell blazed a new trail in the traditionally male crime thriller genre.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The rooms The Cape’s 159 rooms, suites, and villas share a sleek Baja aesthetic with concrete, wood textures, and somewhat masculine neutrals paired with sculptural lighting and elements.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 Mar. 2026
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The lines remain mostly unisex, though the aesthetic still skews slightly masculine, a tip of the hat to the brand’s roots.—
Jessica Binns,
Sourcing Journal,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Virile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/virile. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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