virulent
Severely harmful, spreading
Virulent describes something extremely harmful or poisonous.
A virulent strain of bacteria causes severe illness; a virulent toxin kills quickly.
The word extends to hostility and criticism: a virulent attack on her character, virulent racism.
Virulent implies not just harm but aggressive, rapidly spreading harm—whether biological or rhetorical.
Capable of causing death
- toxicCapable of causing harm
- venomousProducing injected toxins
- noxiousHarmful, especially when inhaled
- lethalCausing or capable of death
deadly · fatal · pernicious · harmful · hazardous · contaminated · carcinogenic · biotoxin
Meaning to do harm
- malevolentHarboring ill will
- malignantHarmfully invasive, often fatal
- spitefulWanting to hurt others
- venomousProducing injected toxins
vitriolic · bitter · hateful · rancorous · acrimonious · vindictive · antagonistic · hostile
Transmissible between people
- infectiousAble to spread disease
- pathogenicCausing disease
- epidemicWidespread disease occurrence
- pandemicGlobal disease outbreak
outbreak · transmission · contamination · infection · communicable · disease · plague · spread
Intensely forceful in feeling
- fierceViolently intense or aggressive
- savageFierce and untamed
- ferociousExtremely violent or aggressive
- violentInvolving physical force
intense · forceful · strident · truculent · belligerent · combative · rabid · unrelenting
Flourishing beyond control
- uncontrolledLacking any regulation
- widespreadExisting across many places
- proliferatingIncreasing rapidly in quantity
- invasiveEncroaching without welcome
escalating · spreading · unchecked · exponential · raging · galloping · fulminant · rapid
poisonous
Capable of causing death
- toxicCapable of causing harm
- venomousProducing injected toxins
- noxiousHarmful, especially when inhaled
lethal · deadly · fatal · pernicious · harmful · hazardous · contaminated · carcinogenic · biotoxin · poison
malicious
Meaning to do harm
- malevolentHarboring ill will
- malignantHarmfully invasive, often fatal
- spitefulWanting to hurt others
venomous · vitriolic · bitter · hateful · rancorous · acrimonious · vindictive · antagonistic · hostile · inimical
contagious
Transmissible between people
- infectiousAble to spread disease
- pathogenicCausing disease
- epidemicWidespread disease occurrence
pandemic · outbreak · transmission · contamination · infection · communicable · disease · plague · spread · vector
vehement
Intensely forceful in feeling
- fierceViolently intense or aggressive
- savageFierce and untamed
- ferociousExtremely violent or aggressive
violent · intense · forceful · strident · truculent · belligerent · combative · rabid · unrelenting · relentless
rampant
Flourishing beyond control
- uncontrolledLacking any regulation
- widespreadExisting across many places
- proliferatingIncreasing rapidly in quantity
invasive · escalating · spreading · unchecked · exponential · raging · galloping · fulminant · rapid · pervasive
- Fluflu, flu shot, flu vaccine, flu season, flu symptoms
- hatredhate, hateful, abhor, abhorrence, detest
- microbiologybacteria, bacterium, microbe, microbes, microorganisms
- medical adjectivessurgical, cardiac, orthopedic, malignant, respiratory
- virulent strainDangerously potent disease type