virulent

Etymology

From Latin virus (“poison, slime, venom”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvɪɹjələnt/, /ˈvɪɹələnt/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈvɪɹjʊlənt/

Adjective

virulent (comparative more virulent, superlative most virulent)

1. (chiefly medicine, of a disease or disease-causing agent) Highly infectious, malignant, or deadly.
2. Hostile to the point of being venomous; intensely acrimonious.
   • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 8, in The China Governess‎:

     It was a casual sneer, obviously one of a long line. There was hatred behind it, but of a quiet, chronic type, nothing new or unduly virulent, and he was taken aback by the flicker of amazed incredulity that passed over the younger man's ravaged face.

   The politicians were virulent in their hatred of the president.

See also

• pathogenic

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Valencian) IPA^(key): /vi.ɾuˈlent/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /bi.ɾuˈlen/

Adjective

virulent (feminine virulenta, masculine plural virulents, feminine plural virulentes)

1. virulent

Adjective

virulent (plural and definite singular attributive virulente)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Further reading

• “virulent” in Den Danske Ordbog

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin virulentus. The second sense is probably a semantic loan from English.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vi.ʁy.lɑ̃/

Adjective

virulent (feminine singular virulente, masculine plural virulents, feminine plural virulentes)

1. (medicine) virulent
2. virulent (hostile)

Further reading

• “virulent” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).