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# viral

adjective (viral)

«viral» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Viral means caused by a virus: «a viral infection». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/viral/#m1)
2. If something online goes viral, it spreads very fast as huge numbers of people share it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/viral/#m2)

### In the lessons

In science and health lessons, viral illnesses such as colds and flu are caused by viruses; antibiotics do not work on them, while washing hands and vaccines help stop them spreading. In media and online safety lessons, «going viral» means a video, picture or post spreads to millions of people — which shows why you should think before posting, because you can't take it back, and why viral stories may be fake. Phrases: «go viral», «a viral video», «viral infection».

### Examples

- He has a viral infection, not a bacterial one. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/viral/#x1)
- Antibiotics don't cure viral illnesses. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/viral/#x2)
- The cat video went viral. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/viral/#x3)
- A viral post can spread to millions in a day. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/viral/#x4)
- Check the facts before sharing a viral story. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/viral/#x5)
- Flu is a viral disease. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/viral/#x6)
- Once something goes viral, you can't delete it from everywhere. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/viral/#x7)

### Note

From «virus» (plural viruses). Trap: antibiotics kill bacteria, not viruses. «Viral» online does not mean true — viral rumours and fake news spread fast.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «viral» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/viral/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«viral» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/viral.html) on Mova free.