VIRULENT Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

virulent

adjective

ˈvir-ə-lənt

Definition of virulent

as in malicious

having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it the virulent look on her face warned me that she was about to say something unkind

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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 virulent The isotopes that make up radiopharmaceuticals are just as virulent as the beam radiation patients have begrudgingly tolerated for decades. — Allison Deangelis, STAT, 10 Aug. 2026 The feminist progress of the past half century has been met with a virulent backlash of misogyny. — Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 3 Aug. 2026 Further tests showed that the thick sticky coating made these bacteria more virulent than the normal-looking bacteria from the first urine sample. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 23 July 2026 Legionella, the bacteria that causes the virulent form of pneumonia known as Legionnaires’ disease, has been detected in a cooling tower at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on New York’s Upper East Side. — News Desk, Artforum, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for virulent

Recent Examples of Synonyms for virulent

Adjective

Can someone manipulate them through prompt injection or malicious data into crossing those boundaries?

— Alex Spokoiny, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Name the pattern Most bloviators aren't malicious, in my experience; it's just become their style.

— Dorie Clark, Contributor, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of malicious

Adjective

The vicious cycle of the current model, of course, is that to become marketable a team needs to get and retain good players, and to do that a school has to spend money, which cycles the whole thing back to the start.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
Governments were expected to rescue struggling banks, which held large amounts of sovereign debt, creating a vicious cycle.

— Jenni Reid,Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of vicious

Adjective

People talking to an AI in an abusive and cruel way are more likely to be associated with trying to get the AI model to engage in dangerous requests, like trying to get around an AI’s safety guardrails, Campbell added.

— Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026
From the very start, the students assigned as guards went on cruel power trips and repeatedly humiliated — if not psychologically tortured — the inmates, to the point that some of the prisoners suffered nervous breakdowns.

— Frank Landymore, Futurism, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of cruel

Adjective

Violent mobs carrying Palestinian flags clashed with police, looted hundreds of stores, and flooded social media with over 1,300 hateful anti-Semitic posts.

— Staff, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
The Illinois High School Association is responding as an investigation continues into hateful comments against Evanston Township High School students who were part of marching band during a football game at the new Ryan Field last week.

— Adam Harrington, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of hateful

Adjective

With American Family Field rocking, Ashby reared back and threw a nasty curve that Díaz tried to hold up on.

— Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
Of course, there has been some criticism of this plan, as France is experiencing some pretty nasty civil unrest at the moment, but the game will go ahead, with the Saints having been in the country for a few days already.

— Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of nasty

Browse Nearby Words

virulency

virulent

virulently

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“Virulent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/virulent. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of virulent

adjective

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