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
With more powerful and virulent tools, fake news can travel at near two thirds the speed of light, often without human regulation.
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Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024
Their virulent strain of hate, deeply rooted in antisemitism, has spread beyond the region and found fertile ground in Western democracies, including the United States.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
The latest outbreak was caused by a virulent form, and all the infections were tied to the same strain: E. coli O157:H7.
—Gerry Smith and Daniela Sirtori / Bloomberg, TIME, 23 Oct. 2024
Born in the Bronx, Cohn, who received his degree from Columbia Law School, was known for being a virulent anti-Communist.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for virulent 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for virulent
Adjective
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Last November, Skakel sued the town and the case’s lead investigator, seeking damages for alleged malicious prosecution, among other rights violations.Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 27 Dec. 2024
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Their allegations do not reflect a review of the actual evidence, and are a malicious and cowardly assault on the truth.Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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That's what's happened in House of the Dragon season 2's vicious civil war, the Dance of the Dragons.David Faris, Newsweek, 28 Dec. 2024
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The 2024 adaptation of Nosferatu, the second cinematic remake of the German Expressionist classic, stars horror mainstay Skarsgård (It, Barbarian) as the vicious Count Orlok.Celia Mattison, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Shahana Goswami plays the lead role of a widow who lands the job of a cop due to life’s cruel twists.Sweta Kaushal, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
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In a cruel irony, revelers had gathered to welcome a new beginning.Matthew Continetti, National Review, 4 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Criticism is never easy to take, especially when it’s buried under snarky memes and hateful trolling.Molly McPherson, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
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Four major neo-Nazi accounts on X unmasked An investigation this week in the Texas Observer names the people behind four influential accounts on X, formerly Twitter, that have shared hateful neo-Nazi and white supremacist content with millions of users.Will Carless, USA TODAY, 7 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The net front is the nastiest place on an NHL rink.Chris Branch, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
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The second season trailer, which dropped on Wednesday, sees the title character who is played by Amer, who co-created the series with Ramy Youssef, trying to get back into the U.S. from Mexico after becoming entangled with nasty coyotes at the end of the first season in 2022.Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near virulent
Cite this Entry
“Virulent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/virulent. Accessed 12 Jan. 2025.
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