1
: of, relating to, or caused by a virus
a viral infection
2
: quickly and widely spread or popularized especially by means of social media
a viral video
Examples of viral in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Machinima signaled a new world where that footage—of Halo, in Red vs. Blue’s case—could power viral clips.
—
Chris Baker, WIRED, 7 May 2024
The movie is based on the viral book of the same title.
—Lyz Lenz, Rolling Stone, 7 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for viral 
Chris Baker, WIRED, 7 May 2024
The movie is based on the viral book of the same title.
—Lyz Lenz, Rolling Stone, 7 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for viral
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'viral.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near viral
Cite this Entry
“Viral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/viral. Accessed 17 May. 2024.
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viral
adjective
vi·ral
ˈvī-rəl 
1
: of, relating to, or caused by a virus
a viral infection
2
: quickly and widely spread or popularized especially by person-to-person electronic communication
a viral video
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