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Virulent
/ˈvɪɹjʊlənt/
(of a disease or disease-causing agent) Highly infectious, malignant or deadly.
📖 Definitions of "Virulent"
adjective
- 1
(of a disease or disease-causing agent) Highly infectious, malignant or deadly.
- 2
Hostile to the point of being venomous; intensely acrimonious.
"The politicians were virulent in their hatred of the president."
🔄 Synonyms of "Virulent"
15 synonyms found via WordNet and Google Books.
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| acerbic | (figurative) Sharp, harsh, biting. |
| causticnoun | Capable of burning, corroding or destroying organic tissue. |
| acrid | Sharp and harsh, or bitter and not to the taste. |
| vitriolic | (figuratively) Bitterly scathing, caustic. |
| venomous | Of an animal (specifically a snake) or parts of its body: producing venom (“a toxin intended for defensive or offensive use”) which is usually injected into an enemy or prey by biting or stinging; hence, of a bite or sting: injecting venom. |
| unpleasant | Not pleasant. |
| acerb | (archaic, figurative) Sharp and harsh in expressing oneself. |
| bitternoun | Having an acrid taste (usually from a basic substance). |
| sulfurous | (American spelling) Containing sulfur. |
| toxic | (figurative) Severely negative or harmful. |
| blisteringnoun | Very hot. |
| sulphurous | (chiefly British spelling) Alternative spelling of sulfurous. [(American spelling) Containing sulfur.] |
| deadly | Causing death; lethal. |
| acidnoun | (chemistry) Any compound which yields H+ ions (protons) when dissolved in water; an Arrhenius acid. |
| highly infective | (of a microorganism) extremely infective |
↔️ Antonyms of "Virulent"
Words with the opposite meaning.
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| avirulent | Not virulent. |
💡 Words with a Similar Meaning to "Virulent"
Found via reverse dictionary — words that share a conceptual meaning.
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| venomous | Of an animal (specifically a snake) or parts of its body: producing venom (“a toxin intended for defensive or offensive use”) which is usually injected into an enemy or prey by biting or stinging; hence, of a bite or sting: injecting venom. |
| toxic | (figurative) Severely negative or harmful. |
| blistering | Very hot. |
| caustic | Capable of burning, corroding or destroying organic tissue. |
| sulfurous | (American spelling) Containing sulfur. |
| sulphurous | (chiefly British spelling) Alternative spelling of sulfurous. [(American spelling) Containing sulfur.] |
| vitriolic | (figuratively) Bitterly scathing, caustic. |
| acid | Of or pertaining to an acid; acidic. |
| acerb | (archaic, figurative) Sharp and harsh in expressing oneself. |
| bitter | Having an acrid taste (usually from a basic substance). |
| acerbic | (figurative) Sharp, harsh, biting. |
| acrid | Sharp and harsh, or bitter and not to the taste. |
| deadly | Causing death; lethal. |
| unpleasant | Not pleasant. |
| highly infective | (of a microorganism) extremely infective |
| virulencenoun | The state of being virulent. |
| contagious | (of a disease) Easily transmitted to others. |
| pathogenic | (pathology) Able to cause (harmful) disease. |
| infectious | (pathology, typically of a person) Able to infect others; capable of transmitting pathogens. |
| inflammatory | Relating to, causing, or caused by inflammation. |
⚡ Words Strongly Associated with "Virulent"
These words statistically appear in the same text as "virulent" (Google Books Ngrams).
🎨 Adjectives for "Virulent"
Popular adjectives used to describe this word in books.
🏷️ Nouns for "Virulent"
Common nouns this word is used to describe.
📝 Common Phrases with "Virulent"
Words that come before
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