Extremely severe or harmful in its effects; bitterly hostile or poisonous in feeling or speech.
From Latin 'virulentus,' from 'virus' meaning 'poison' or 'slimy liquid.' Originally used to describe poisonous substances, it evolved to describe anything extremely harmful, whether physical diseases or hostile attitudes.
Connect 'virulent' to 'virus'—both share the same Latin root meaning poison. A virulent disease spreads aggressively, just like a computer virus attacks systems with hostile intent.
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