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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of virulent
This is objectively true, and even the most virulent Kyle stan cannot object.
—
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2024
The best-selling novel (and Apple TV+ series) Lessons in Chemistry recently dramatized the often virulent misogyny that existed in scientific settings; Joy looks at a subtler dynamic, in which the contributions that women played in scientific discovery was downplayed.
—Vogue, 21 Nov. 2024
There are currently no public plans for distributing or administering H5N1 pandemic vaccines, although that could change if person-to-person transmission occurs or if the virus becomes more virulent.
—Maggie Fox, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2024
The onslaught against migrants that the Russian nationalist movement has unleashed, in concert with the police, has become so virulent that even some of Putin’s erstwhile defenders can’t stomach it.
—Anna Nemtsova, The Atlantic, 27 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for virulent 
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2024
The best-selling novel (and Apple TV+ series) Lessons in Chemistry recently dramatized the often virulent misogyny that existed in scientific settings; Joy looks at a subtler dynamic, in which the contributions that women played in scientific discovery was downplayed.
—Vogue, 21 Nov. 2024
There are currently no public plans for distributing or administering H5N1 pandemic vaccines, although that could change if person-to-person transmission occurs or if the virus becomes more virulent.
—Maggie Fox, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2024
The onslaught against migrants that the Russian nationalist movement has unleashed, in concert with the police, has become so virulent that even some of Putin’s erstwhile defenders can’t stomach it.
—Anna Nemtsova, The Atlantic, 27 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for virulent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for virulent
Adjective
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Ultimately, the debate over the ability of malicious hackers to trigger a continent-wide blackout is moot and a distraction from the issue that really matters.—
Dan Goodin,
Ars Technica,
23 Jan. 2025
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Android users can also keep Google Play Protect enabled to scan for malicious code—even on sideloaded apps.—
Kate Irwin,
PCMAG,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But Canadian model and actress Kat Pasion, whose credits include Altered Carbon, The Flash and Nancy Drew, appears in the ID series to help corroborate the vicious abuse and assaults that Ventura allegedly endured and chronicled in her landmark civil suit.—
Etan Vlessing,
The Hollywood Reporter,
23 Jan. 2025
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Combined with a vicious splitter, which is one of the best in the world right now, Sasaki has proved unstoppable at times.—
Jamie Barton,
CNN,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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And having more thoughtful conversations doesn’t preclude the need sometimes to confront those who are needlessly cruel or organizations that benefit from such exploitation.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
18 Jan. 2025
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In recent months, the Justice Department and the state filed thousands of pages of new records in the lawsuit, including reports and sworn statements from pediatricians, scholars and others who describe Florida’s policies as archaic and cruel.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Garvey’s legacy has been complicated, especially due to his sometimes hateful and violent rhetoric against Jews, white people, Catholics, and other groups.—
Brady Knox,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
19 Jan. 2025
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The settlement, announced by the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, requires Rutgers to take a series of actions to combat discrimination on campus after 400 reports of hateful incidents on campus were filed between July 2023 and June 2024.—
Fox News Staff,
Fox News,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The fight has been particularly nasty, with both sides trading harsh accusations against the other.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune Asia,
20 Jan. 2025
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First Lady Nancy Reagan was upset, thinking her husband was being too nasty.—
George Skelton,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near virulent
Cite this Entry
“Virulent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/virulent. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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