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
While the politics of health and care do not always map onto war and its metaphors, public health is messy when new and virulent diseases take over a country in bereavement.
—
Edna Bonhomme, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2025
In recent years, the censorship and false narratives of woke cancel culture have transformed our great universities into greenhouses for this deadly and virulent pestilence.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
Even economic arguments could not overcome the virulent resentment of immigrants.
—Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2025
Regardless of West's clear intent to provoke commentary or the current state of his mental health, this type of virulent anti-Semitism requires clear and immediate condemnation in order to maintain the safety of Jews everywhere.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for virulent
Edna Bonhomme, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2025
In recent years, the censorship and false narratives of woke cancel culture have transformed our great universities into greenhouses for this deadly and virulent pestilence.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
Even economic arguments could not overcome the virulent resentment of immigrants.
—Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2025
Regardless of West's clear intent to provoke commentary or the current state of his mental health, this type of virulent anti-Semitism requires clear and immediate condemnation in order to maintain the safety of Jews everywhere.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for virulent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for virulent
Adjective
-
These attacks work by causing a software package to access the wrong component dependency, for instance by publishing a malicious package and giving it the same name as the legitimate one but with a later version stamp.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
29 Apr. 2025
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The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Sandhagen dispatched Edgar with a vicious flying knee 28 seconds into that bout.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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In its most memorable moment, Walker dispatches a particularly vicious henchwoman with a harpoon to the neck.—
Mike Miller,
EW.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Such evidence could support the view that incessant loud noise amounts to torture or cruel treatment towards cetaceans, in turn galvanizing support for a new right to be free from such harm.—
David Gruber,
Time,
24 Apr. 2025
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But this is the cruel and unreasonable state of this Administration's deportation policy.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Of note: Your Content must not be false, defamatory, misleading or hateful, or infringe any copyright or any other third-party rights or otherwise be unlawful.—
Catherine Pearson,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
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Now, imagine a flood of political images, hateful memes and mocking videos from domestic and foreign sources taking over social media.—
Ernesto Verdeja,
The Conversation,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Mingyang took the center of the Octagon from the beginning, landed hard leg kicks, and opened a nasty gash on Smith’s forehead with a step-in elbow.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
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With a triple-digit heater and a nasty slider, he’s always been a tantalizing talent.—
Sahadev Sharma,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Virulent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/virulent. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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