virulent
/ˈvɪɹ(j)ʊl(ə)nt/adj
University
1
Of animals, plants, or substances: extremely venomous or poisonous.
2
Extremely hostile or malicious; intensely acrimonious.
3
Of a disease or disease-causing agent: malignant, able to cause damage to the host.
4
Of a pathogen: replicating within its host cell, then immediately causing it to undergo lysis.
Thesaurus
Antonyms
Sound Patterns & Rhymes
Alliteration
Words starting with the same consonant sound — used in poetry and prose to create rhythm, emphasis, and memorable phrasing (e.g. “Peter Piper picked”)
Assonance
Words sharing similar vowel sounds regardless of starting letter — creates internal melody in writing