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
Ireland is now one of the most virulent anti-Israel countries in Europe, blurring the line between criticizing Israeli policies and questioning Israel’s right to exist.
—
Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2025
Pinochet, a virulent anti-communist and Germanophile, was anointed as head of a four-man Military Junta, and later President of Chile.
—Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2025
The internet being the internet, however, some fans had correctly guessed this twist was coming after sharing Harcourt’s observation about the population’s whiteness — matched with the fact that on the main Earth, Auggie was a virulent white supremacist known as the White Dragon.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025
West, who has a history of virulent antisemitism, was dropped by his talent agent in February following one of his antisemitic rants.
—Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for virulent
Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2025
Pinochet, a virulent anti-communist and Germanophile, was anointed as head of a four-man Military Junta, and later President of Chile.
—Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2025
The internet being the internet, however, some fans had correctly guessed this twist was coming after sharing Harcourt’s observation about the population’s whiteness — matched with the fact that on the main Earth, Auggie was a virulent white supremacist known as the White Dragon.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025
West, who has a history of virulent antisemitism, was dropped by his talent agent in February following one of his antisemitic rants.
—Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for virulent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for virulent
Adjective
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The Russian general was one of several GRU officials sanctioned by the United States in 2016 for wide-ranging malicious cyber activity directed at undermining US democratic processes.—
Anna Chernova,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Catherine’s brother Hindley, a vicious bully whose abuse is part of what drives Cathy and Heathcliff so closely together, is cut entirely, his role combined with Catherine’s father.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
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Everyone is fair game for her vicious tongue.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Said quest forces her to reexamine a revelatory affair with an RAF pilot, and consider how their engagement’s cruel ending set her on the path to a different sort of fulfillment.—
Hayley Maitland,
Vogue,
14 Feb. 2026
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Government should tame the savageness of man and make life in this world more gentle, not crueler.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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This is not the first time that Peacock has taken to social media to ask viewers to refrain from sending hateful messages.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Jan. 2026
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Since 2004, Orange County also has been predominantly nonwhite, but some conservative families, such as Woodward’s, bond over a hateful ideology.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The mother of three was first spotted with the hunky Larocca, in October 2024, about six months after the nasty breakup with Hall.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
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Talarico remarked that the nasty interloper would provide good color for my story, and then recalled the time that former Governor Rick Perry had encountered a coyote while running outside Austin—and shot it dead.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Virulent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/virulent. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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