Meaning of Virulent

Origin of the word Virulent

Virulent came into English through the Greek root ‘viru-,vir-’, meaning poison. And not to anyone’s surprise, this root is also the source of the word ‘virus’. Now we can see the connection, can’t we? Anything that is virulent is like poison, capable of taking life away.

The two images for this post are based on the same concept of poison. Snakes are virulent for sure and corruption is also virulent menace, infiltrating every sphere of our lives.

The dictionary definitions for virulent are as follows:

1. Extremely infectious, malignant, or poisonous (Used of a disease or toxin). (adjective)

2. Capable of causing disease by breaking down protective mechanisms of the host. (Used of a pathogen). (adjective)

3. Intensely irritating, obnoxious, or harsh. (adjective)

4. Intensely bitter, spiteful, or malicious: a virulent attack. (adjective)

Masters Tip to remember Virulent:

Remember the two references above: that of the snake and corruption. This are virulent evils one should be beware of.