viral
viral — adjective
1. relating to a very small germ that enters the body and causes illness — used for
relating to a very small germ that enters the body and causes illness — used for infections and diseases that are produced by a virus rather than by bacteria.
The clinic confirmed Rin's fever was from a viral infection and did not need antibiotics.
collocation: viral infection
Dr. Okafor said the rash was viral, not bacterial, and would heal on its own.
Nikhil stayed home from school with a viral illness that left him feeling very tired.
The laboratory received samples from patients with suspected viral diseases across the region.
Min developed a viral lung infection after traveling through several countries.
- infectious
broader term covering both viral and bacterial causes
- microbial
scientific term covering all microscopic organisms, not just viruses
- bacterial
caused by bacteria, which are treated differently from viruses
文法句型
viral + noun (attributive)
be + viral (predicative)
用法筆記
Commonly used before nouns such as infection, disease, or illness. Do not use this sense for conditions caused by bacteria or fungi.
常見錯誤
2. describing online content such as videos, images, or articles that spreads extre
describing online content such as videos, images, or articles that spreads extremely fast as users share it through social media, messaging apps, or email.
A video of Putri's cat falling asleep in a teacup went viral last weekend.
pattern: go + viral
Faisal shared a funny clip online, and it quickly went viral among his classmates.
The restaurant's viral marketing campaign brought hundreds of new customers through the door.
Zola posted a dance video that went viral with two million views in one day.
Élise could not believe that her simple cooking post had gone viral overnight.
- trending
appearing on social media trend lists; often narrower than viral
- popular
generally liked by many people, but does not imply rapid internet spread
- widespread
reaches many people, but can apply to non-internet contexts
文法句型
go + viral (predicative)
viral + noun (attributive)
用法筆記
This sense is most often used in the phrase go viral (verb + adjective). When used attributively before a noun (e.g. viral video, viral post), the meaning is 'that has gone viral', not 'virus-related'.