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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And while Sturm offers a small group of men’s options (the Face Cream Men doubles as an after-shave soother), some of her male clientele seem content to buy the primary unisex line.—
Justin Fenner,
Robb Report,
18 Oct. 2025
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But, in 1944, when the field of medical ethics was still developing, Ancel Keys, a physiologist at the University of Minnesota, recruited thirty-six male conscientious objectors to voluntarily starve themselves.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The conservative desire to return to an earlier heyday—one that is rustic, masculine, and rugged, rather than soft, feminine, and urban—is ancient.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Oct. 2025
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Loafers, softer and quite cozy or completely masculine.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Virile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/virile. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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