virulent
virulent, fierce
adjective vee-roo-LAHN Rare
Origin: Latin virulentus (full of poison), from virus
Also means
highly infectious (medicine)
Usage Note
Virulent is used both in medicine (a germe virulent — a highly pathogenic germ) and in rhetoric, where une critique virulente means a scathing, bitter attack. The feminine form is virulente. In medical French the adjective has been extended beyond bacteria to describe aggressive cancers or toxins.
Examples
"La presse a publié une critique virulente du film."
Natural Translation
The press published a virulent critique of the film.
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