virulent Hear it!

virulent Definition

viru·lent (--lənt)

adjective

    1. extremely poisonous or injurious; deadly
    2. bitterly antagonistic or spiteful; full of hate and enmity; venomous; rancorous
  1. Med.
    1. violent and rapid in its course; highly malignant: said of a disease
    2. able to overcome the natural defenses of the host; highly infectious: said of a microorganism

Etymology: ME < L virulentus, full of poison < virus: see virus

virulent Related Forms
viru·lently adverb
virulent Synonyms

virulent

modif.

  1. Deadly

    destructive, venomous, injurious; see poisonous.

  2. Hostile

    antagonistic, spiteful, hateful; see unfriendly 1.

virulent Usage Examples

Preposition: on

  • cultivar: These were virulent on the previously resistant cultivars Brimstone and Fenman ( at the seedling stage ).

Modifies a noun

  • strain: The more virulent strains are almost entirely resistant to antibiotics.
  • pathogen: These virulent pathogens cause inflammation in the lung in cystic fibrosis, killing many young adults with the disease.
  • hatred: The Eurofanatics have an especially virulent hatred of " Save Britain's Fish " .
  • epidemic: Read the full article online: " Virulent epidemics and the scope of health care workers ' duty of care "

Modifying Another Word

  • particularly: Pitt the Elder was a particularly virulent opponent of the terms of the treaty.
  • highly: Infection with highly virulent strains should be more straightforward.
  • especially: Shortly on, in 1918, an especially virulent strain of influenza swept the globe leaving further millions dead in its wake.
  • increasingly: Ian Poxton wonders what can be done to beat the increasingly virulent strains of Clostridium difficile.
  • so: The virus is so virulent, your Highness, nobody can speak the King's English any more.
  • very: Glanders is a very virulent, infectious disease spread by bacteria.

Used with adjective complement

  • become: It is a feature of viruses that with time they become less virulent.

Preposition: in

  • way: Secondly, a new agent, presumably BSE, is virulent in a way in which previous agents such as scrapie have not been.

Preposition: than

  • strain: Each strain may have different characteristics, affect different species in different ways, and be more or less virulent than other strains.
  • virus: Viruses in asymptomatic individuals tend to be less virulent than viruses found in people with AIDS.
  • cancer: An example is the question: ' is lung cancer in women more virulent than lung cancer in men?
virulent Quotes

It is a most extraordinary thing, but I never read a patent medicine advertisement without being impelled to the conclusionthat Iamsuffering fromtheparticulardisease therein dealt with in its most virulent form.

—Jerome,Jerome K(lapka)