From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishvirulentvir‧u‧lent /ˈvɪrələnt/ adjective 1 MIHBa poison, disease etc that is virulent is very dangerous and affects people very quickly OPP mild a particularly virulent form of influenza2 formal full of hatred for something, or expressing this in a strong way – used to show disapproval virulent anti-Semitism —virulence noun [uncountable] —virulently adverb
Examples from the Corpus
virulent• Occasionally, a virus is created with a combination of genes that makes it especially virulent.• a virulent critic of the United Nations• When Robert was twelve and I seven, both my parents and Ann were smitten by a particularly virulent flu germ.• He had developed a vaccine using virulent forms of polio that were then killed with formaldehyde and injected.• That lofty notion spread like a virulent germ into every law school in the nation.• While companies talk about sustainable agriculture, they create plant varieties that can withstand being sprayed by their most virulent herbicides.• The least resistant hosts and the least virulent parasites were killed in each generation.• He tried to organise a debate, and invited the most virulent protesters to come on stage and put their case.• a more virulent strain of HIVvirulent form• Alana was diagnosed April 5 with acute myeloid leukemia, type M-7, a particularly virulent form of cancer.• Restoring culture can just as easily lead to a new and virulent form of fundamentalism as to a revival of cultural diversity.• He had developed a vaccine using virulent forms of polio that were then killed with formaldehyde and injected.• But particularly virulent forms of strep have come and gone throughout history.Origin virulent (1300-1400) Latin virulentus, from virus; → VIRUS 