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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Recent Examples of virulent
The precautions are necessary, says Colleen Jonsson, a virologist at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, because of the possibility of the virus mutating to become more virulent.
—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
6 May 2026
Some of the bacteria that have been detected on the ISS have evolved during their time in space, including salmonella that have become more virulent and acinetobacter pittii that developed resistance to antibiotics.
—
Scott E. Solomon,
STAT,
22 Apr. 2026
How did the virulent nationalism and fraught politics of France’s interwar period—no less racked by crisis than its nuclear-era dénouement—inform the artist’s approach to figure and form?
—
Ara H. Merjian,
ARTnews.com,
16 Apr. 2026
The first great wave of Eastern European Jewish immigration to the United States began in 1881, set off by virulent, violent antisemitism in the Pale of Settlement.
—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for virulent
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
6 May 2026
Some of the bacteria that have been detected on the ISS have evolved during their time in space, including salmonella that have become more virulent and acinetobacter pittii that developed resistance to antibiotics.
—
Scott E. Solomon,
STAT,
22 Apr. 2026
How did the virulent nationalism and fraught politics of France’s interwar period—no less racked by crisis than its nuclear-era dénouement—inform the artist’s approach to figure and form?
—
Ara H. Merjian,
ARTnews.com,
16 Apr. 2026
The first great wave of Eastern European Jewish immigration to the United States began in 1881, set off by virulent, violent antisemitism in the Pale of Settlement.
—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for virulent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for virulent
Adjective
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He was charged with arson, malicious destruction by means of a fire and timber set aflame.
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Johnson said the bill was meant to curtail malicious records requests, which do happen, where a citizen goes after copious amounts of records just to be a jerk and cost the government time and money.
Adjective
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That’s still high, but moves downward mean less chance of a vicious cycle where expectations for higher inflation drive changes in behavior that create higher inflation.
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That’s still high, but moves downward mean less chance of a vicious cycle where expectations for higher inflation drive changes in behavior that create higher inflation.
Adjective
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Swift moved on from one Brit to the next, quietly dating actor Joe Alwyn from 2017 to 2023, while the world spent back-to-back cruel summers without Taymerica.
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This is particularly gratifying given the absurd and cruel trolling the young actress received from the toxic corners of internet fandom leading up to the film’s release.
Adjective
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Conservatives are often accused of being divisive, hateful and exclusionary.
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On Sunday, June 14, UFC fighter Josh Hokit took the opportunity after his win on the White House lawn to repeat a hateful lie about the former first lady.
Adjective
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We’re used to nasty, hateful, and sometimes violent things being said about us and even about our family.
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Tarik Skubal was nasty against the Yankees.
Cite this Entry
“Virulent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/virulent. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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