virulent
UK: ˈvɪrʊlənt | US: ˈvɪrələnt
adj. 1. (of a disease or poison) extremely severe or harmful in its effects.
adj. 2. bitterly hostile or hateful; full of malice.
virulent = viru<poison> + lent<full of>
- viru (from Latin virus "poison, slimy liquid")
- lent (from Latin -lentus suffix meaning "full of, characterized by")
Etymology Origin:
The word virulent traces back to Latin virus, which originally referred to a poisonous liquid or venom. Over time, virus evolved to denote infectious agents in biology. The suffix -lentus was added to form virulentus in Late Latin, meaning "full of poison." By the 14th century, the term entered English, initially describing physical toxicity and later expanding to figurative hostility (e.g., "virulent speech"). The dual meaning reflects the logic of poison as both a physical and metaphorical threat.
The virulent strain of flu spread rapidly across the region.
Her virulent criticism of the policy shocked the audience.
The snake's bite injected a virulent venom into the victim.
Social media can amplify virulent hate speech.
Scientists are studying how to neutralize virulent pathogens.