1
: of, relating to, or caused by a virus
a viral infection
2
: quickly and widely spread or popularized especially by means of social media
a viral video
Examples of viral in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The social media platform has become a crucial part of the music industry ecosystem, and some recent stars have risen to fame thanks to viral hits on the app.
—
Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC News, 11 Apr. 2024
The TikTok Formula If songwriters want to be successful in getting a viral hit, is there a specific formula that works?
—Howard Murphy, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2024
But the viral trend– touting the ability to define a more prominent jaw– is arguably the most controversial facial optimization technique in history.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 8 Apr. 2024
Special skills and strategies are needed for this viral growth, according to Eyal Baumel, who works with creators such as MrBeast, Rebecca Zamolo, and Like Nastya, about some of the techniques and trends in content globalization and monetization.
—Nick Kasmik, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
Further west, on the border in El Paso, a viral video released by the New York Post in March shows a crowd of migrants, several with their hands raised, pushing past Texas National Guard members.
—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Apr. 2024
Wild migratory birds are believed to be the source of the infection, the USDA said, and viral testing and epidemiologic efforts remained underway.
—Marina Johnson, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Apr. 2024
But there’s some good news, beauty fans: While not all viral trends pass the eczema test, some can actually make your skin both look and feel pretty good.
—Kirsten Nunez, SELF, 29 Mar. 2024
During the pandemic, and in the years that followed, TikTok showed how short-form videos could blow up songs and artists seemingly overnight, largely driven by fan interactions and viral social media trends.
—Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2024
Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC News, 11 Apr. 2024
The TikTok Formula If songwriters want to be successful in getting a viral hit, is there a specific formula that works?
—Howard Murphy, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2024
But the viral trend– touting the ability to define a more prominent jaw– is arguably the most controversial facial optimization technique in history.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 8 Apr. 2024
Special skills and strategies are needed for this viral growth, according to Eyal Baumel, who works with creators such as MrBeast, Rebecca Zamolo, and Like Nastya, about some of the techniques and trends in content globalization and monetization.
—Nick Kasmik, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
Further west, on the border in El Paso, a viral video released by the New York Post in March shows a crowd of migrants, several with their hands raised, pushing past Texas National Guard members.
—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Apr. 2024
Wild migratory birds are believed to be the source of the infection, the USDA said, and viral testing and epidemiologic efforts remained underway.
—Marina Johnson, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Apr. 2024
But there’s some good news, beauty fans: While not all viral trends pass the eczema test, some can actually make your skin both look and feel pretty good.
—Kirsten Nunez, SELF, 29 Mar. 2024
During the pandemic, and in the years that followed, TikTok showed how short-form videos could blow up songs and artists seemingly overnight, largely driven by fan interactions and viral social media trends.
—Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'viral.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near viral
Cite this Entry
“Viral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/viral. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
viral
adjective
vi·ral
ˈvī-rəl 
1
: of, relating to, or caused by a virus
a viral infection
2
: quickly and widely spread or popularized especially by person-to-person electronic communication
a viral video
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