viral
adj. · n.-
1 internet popularity (adj.) B2 Upper Intermediate Informal Computingdescribes a video, photo, or story that spreads very quickly across the internet as people share it.
relating to or involving the rapid, exponential spread of information or content via social media and peer-to-peer sharing.
ExampleThe video of the dancing cat went viral and got millions of views in just one day.
ExampleThe marketing team hoped the short documentary would go viral, generating organic brand awareness without the need for a traditional advertising budget.
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2 medical (adj.) B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Medicinecaused by or relating to a virus, which is a tiny living thing that can make you sick.
pertaining to, caused by, or of the nature of a biological virus.
ExampleThe doctor said it was a viral infection, so antibiotics would not help.
ExampleResearchers are investigating the long-term effects of various viral strains on the human immune system to better prepare for future outbreaks.
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3 marketing (adj.) C1 Advanced Academic Computinga way of selling things where customers tell their friends about a product.
relating to a marketing strategy that relies on individuals to pass on a marketing message to others.
ExampleThe company used viral marketing to create a lot of excitement before the phone was even released.
ExampleThe success of the campaign was attributed to its clever use of viral loops, encouraging each new user to invite several others from their contact list.
- word of mouth
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4 a popular post (n.) C1 Advanced Informal Computingan image or video that has become very popular online.
a piece of digital content that has been circulated rapidly and widely from one internet user to another.
ExampleShe was surprised when her simple drawing became a viral overnight.
ExampleThe agency specialises in creating virals that look like amateur footage to increase their chances of being shared organically.
- meme
- hit
From virus + -al.