English noun: virulence | |||
1. | virulence (attribute) extreme harmfulness (as the capacity of a microorganism to cause disease) | ||
Samples | The virulence of the plague. | ||
Synonyms | virulency | ||
Broader (hypernym) | harmfulness, injuriousness | ||
Domain category | micro-organism, microorganism | ||
2. | virulence (attribute) extreme hostility | ||
Samples | The virulence of the malicious old man. | ||
Synonyms | virulency | ||
Broader (hypernym) | hostility, ill will | ||