Make Your Point > Archived Issues > VIRULENT
Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.
connect today's word to others:
Virulent things are mean, bitter, figuratively poisonous, so it makes sense that the word virulent looks so much like virus--virus in Latin means "poison."
Could you recall these synonyms of virulent?
1. Something full of deep, long-held, hateful resentment is r____rous.
2. Something as sharp, mean, and harsh as a corrosive sulphate of metal is v_____lic.
3. And something that slowly ruins something else more and more, like a spreading sore, is u____rous.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
make your point with...
"VIRULENT"
Virulent things (like wounds and diseases) are poisonous or extremely harmful to the body.
More abstractly, virulent things and people are so mean or so bitter that they seem poisonous.
Pronunciation:
I prefer "VEER uh lunt,"
but "VEER yuh lunt" is also correct.
Part of speech:
Adjective.
(Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late."
They can be used in two ways:
1. Right before a noun, as in "a virulent thing" or "a virulent person."
2. After a linking verb, as in "It was virulent" or "He was virulent.")
Other forms:
virulence, virulently
How to use it:
This word has a very harsh tone. To call something virulent is to hint that it's as harsh or hostile as a poisonous infection.
Talk about virulent people and attitudes; virulent comments and accusations (either spoken or written); and virulent actions and feelings, such as virulent spite, wrath, malice, etc.
And sometimes we talk about literally virulent things: "a virulent strain of flu," "a virulent snakebite."
examples:
Montgomery's National Memorial for Peace and Justice makes us confront the virulent hatred that ended the lives of thousands of black Americans.
As Election Day approached, the candidates spoke about each other with increasing virulence.
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "virulent" means when you can explain it without saying "toxic" or "venomous."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "It's hard to understand (someone's) virulent opposition to _____."
Example: "It's hard to understand their virulent opposition to equal marriage rights."
before you review:
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
"Bits & Pieces." This month, we're playing with affixes and combining forms, the bits and pieces of our language, matching them to their meanings. The more of these bits and pieces you know, the better you are at decoding unfamiliar words, which is sooo satisfying! I'll share the answers in each subsequent issue.
Here are the answers from our previous issue:
1. "falc-" means "sickle-shaped."
2. "platy-" means "flat or broad."
3. "nemato-" means "thread-shaped."
4. "reni-" means "kidney-shaped."
5. "stereo-" means "solid or 3D."
Try this set today. It's about characteristics:
1. "calli-" means _____.
2. "pachy-" means _____.
3. "stego-" means _____.
4. "tauto-" means _____.
5. "xeno-" means _____.
Answer bank:
A. same
B. foreign or strange
C. beautiful
D. covered or roofed
E. thick
review today's word:
1. A close opposite of VIRULENT is
A. BENIGN.
B. BEAUTIFUL.
C. BLOSSOMING.
2. Don't scroll through the comments--they're unmonitored and often virulently _____.
A. spelled and punctuated
B. plagiarized
C. racist
Answers are below.
a final word:
Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From Liesl's blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Answers to review questions:
1. A
2. C
Virulent things are mean, bitter, figuratively poisonous, so it makes sense that the word virulent looks so much like virus--virus in Latin means "poison."
"VIRULENT" Virulent things (like wounds and diseases) are poisonous or extremely harmful to the body. Other forms:
Montgomery's National Memorial for Peace and Justice makes us confront the virulent hatred that ended the lives of thousands of black Americans.
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "virulent" means when you can explain it without saying "toxic" or "venomous."
Fill in the blanks: "It's hard to understand (someone's) virulent opposition to _____."
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
1. A close opposite of VIRULENT is
Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. |