Virulent
/ˈvɪr.jʊ.lənt/noun
Extremely harmful, severe, or full of hostile feeling.
Did you know?Virulent comes from Latin *virulentus*, meaning “poisonous” or “full of venom,” from *virus* in its older sense of “poison” or “slimy liquid,” long before it meant a computer bug or a pathogen.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
weih-
“A proposed root for poison/venom-related words; the exact prehistory is uncertain and debated.”
Latin
Latin
virus
“Poison, venom, or a noxious secretion.”
Latin
Latin
virulentus
“Poisonous; full of venom.”
Old French
Old French
virulent
“Poisonous, venomous.”
Middle English
English
virulente
“Poisonous or noxious.”
Modern English
English
virulent
“Extremely harmful, severe, or bitterly hostile.”