virulent

(vîr'yə-lənt, vîr'ə-)
adj.

1. 1. Extremely infectious, malignant, or poisonous. Used of a disease or toxin.
   2. Capable of causing disease by breaking down protective mechanisms of the host. Used of a pathogen.
2. Bitterly hostile or antagonistic; hateful: virulent criticism. See synonyms at poisonous.
3. Intensely irritating, obnoxious, or harsh.

[Middle English, from Latin vīrulentus, from vīrus, poison.]

virulence vir'u·lence or vir'u·len·cy n.
virulently vir'u·lent·ly adv.

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adjective

1. Extremely destructive or harmful: baneful, deadly, malignant, noxious, pernicious, pestilent, pestilential. See help/harm/harmless.
2. Capable of injuring or killing by poison: mephitic, mephitical, poison, poisonous, toxic, toxicant, venomous. See help/harm/harmless.
3. Bitingly hostile: acrimonious, bitter, embittered, hard, rancorous, resentful. See attitude/good attitude/bad attitude/neutral attitude, love/hatred.

adj

Definition: hostile
Antonyms: gentle, kind, nice

adj

Definition: poisonous, lethal
Antonyms: harmless, healthy, nonpoisonous

IN BRIEF: Having a fast and deadly course. Also: Very poisonous.

This year's flu is not as virulent as in years past.

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the capacity of a microorganism or virus to cause disease in a host under certain conditions.
—virulent adj.

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The degree of pathogenicity of a microorganism as indicated by case fatality rates and/or its ability to invade the tissues of the host; the competence of any infectious agent to produce pathological effects.

• v. alteration — attenuation (2).

For a list of words related to virulent, see:

• Diagnostic Terminology - virulent: (adj) disease-producing
• Troublesome, Negative, Irresponsible, or Unpleasant

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See words rhyming with "virulent."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Virulent.

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - ondartet, virulent, ondskabsfuld, bitter

Nederlands (Dutch)
hevig en kwaadaardig, giftig, in staat het immuunsysteem te overwinnen, kwaadaardig/bitter, hardvochtig, veroorzaakt door een virus

Français (French)
adj. - (Méd, fig) virulent

Deutsch (German)
adj. - virulent, ansteckend, giftig, bösartig

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - τοξικός, θανατηφόρος, (μτφ.) μοχθηρός, κακόβουλος, εχθρικός, κακεντρεχής, φαρμακερός, (ιατρ.) κακοήθης, μιασματικός, λοιμογόνος

Italiano (Italian)
virulento

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - virulento, venenoso, rancoroso

Русский (Russian)
опасный, заразный, злобный

Español (Spanish)
adj. - virulento, violento

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - giftig, häftig, bitter, illasinnad

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
有毒的, 充满敌意的, 有恶意的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 有毒的, 充滿敵意的, 有惡意的

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 유독한, 심술 궂은, 악성의

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 毒性の強い, 悪性の, 悪意に満ちた, 毒性の

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) فتاك, خطر ( مرض), زعاق, تكاثري‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮ארסי, קטלני, עז, מר, חדור-שנאה, מסוכנת או ממאירה (מחלה)‬

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