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View synonyms for

viral

[ vahy-ruhl ]

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or caused by a virus.
  2. pertaining to or involving the spreading of information and opinions about a product or service from person to person, especially on the internet or in emails: viral marketing.

    a clever viral ad.

  3. becoming very popular by circulating quickly from person to person, especially through the internet:

    the most memorable viral videos;

    This book is already viral two weeks before its official publication date.

  4. pertaining to a computer virus.


viral

/ ˈɪə /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or caused by a virus
  2. (of a video, image, story, etc) spread quickly and widely among internet users via social networking sites, e-mail, etc
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • t·۲ adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of viral1

First recorded in 1935–40; vir(us) + -al 1
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. go viral, to spread rapidly via the internet, email, or other media:

    Footage of the candidate's off-color remarks went viral within minutes.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Its bakery will sell viral Asian treats, including lava mochi puffs and Napoleon Portuguese egg tarts.

From

Myanmar authorities have arrested an astrologer for causing panic by predicting a new earthquake in a viral TikTok video.

From

Two weeks later, after a video of the encounter goes viral, Yungblud is still moved by the memory.

From

When video of the Feb. 22 incident in Idaho surfaced, it quickly turned viral online, with many wondering who the men were since they weren’t wearing any type of uniform.

From

Many of the downed trees were discovered Saturday morning, when images of the sawed trunks and their massive, felled branches lit up online message boards and went viral on social media.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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viragoviral infection