virus

noun

a software program capable of reproducing itself and usually capable of causing great harm to files or other programs on the same computer

a harmful or corrupting agency

(virology) ultramicroscopic infectious agent that replicates itself only within cells of living hosts

Roots

virusvir- · Latin · poison

Synonyms for virus

reovirusn picornavirusn adenovirusn rhinovirusn enterovirusn infectionn pathogenn contagionn echovirusn

Synonyms & related words for virus

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of virus — including reovirus, picornavirus, adenovirus, rhinovirus, enterovirus, infection. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to virus

Explore words related to virus — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include ultravirus, subviral, nonviral, oncovirus, myxovirus, rhabdovirus, orthomyxovirus, subvirus. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for virus

Common synonyms for virus include reovirus, picornavirus, adenovirus, rhinovirus, enterovirus, infection, pathogen, contagion — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does virus come from?

The word virus breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root vir-, from Latin virus (“poison”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.