VIRUS Synonyms: 23 Similar and Opposite Words

virus

noun

Definition of virus

as in disease

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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 virus The agency analyzed the genetic sequence of the virus from the person who died in Washington and found no changes that would make the virus spread more easily or cause more severe illness, a CDC spokesperson said Monday. — ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026 The virus can cause fever, severe muscle and joint pain, nausea, rash and, in severe cases, dangerous complications or death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026 The report raised alarm because mink is a species that could give the virus opportunities to mutate to better spread among humans. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 2 Nov. 2026 By modifying the virus’s genetic sequence, the researchers could also control this adjuvant activity. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for virus

Recent Examples of Synonyms for virus

Noun

Along with treatment for eligible accidents and illnesses, the policy covers veterinary exam fees, hereditary and congenital conditions, dental diseases, behavioral issues and alternative therapies.

— Matt Richardson, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2026
There have been periods when the human population declined because of wars or epidemics, such as the Black Death, in the fourteenth century, or the diseases brought by Europeans to the Americas in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

— Jesús Fernández-Villaverde, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of disease

Noun

Last Thursday, the contagion reached chipmakers, which makes sense since much of CRWV and IREN's spending is going there.

— Michael Khouw, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
There was little understanding of how contagion might spread, but the civic leaders intuited that physical distancing measures could lessen its effect.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of contagion

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virulently

virus

viruses

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“Virus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/virus. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of virus

noun

Example Sentences

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