virile

adjective

ˈvir-əl How to pronounce virile (audio)
Definition of virilenext
as in male
of, relating to, or marked by qualities traditionally associated with men men were once expected to be interested only in such virile activities as hunting

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of virile Hundreds of frat boys came out to watch a head-to-head match between the effluvia of USC’s and UCLA’s most virile students, moving through a plastic maze. — Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026 America is strong, America is virile. — David Remnick, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026 And the possibility of a virile and serious and seriously taken black man—all three—is ignored in virtually the entire world of Cather’s and Hemingway’s fiction. — Literary Hub, 3 Feb. 2026 Rather than prizing animals for their beauty, their virile traits or their straight-up cool characteristics, frogposting is all about vulnerable animals—the dweebs of the animal kingdom. — Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for virile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for virile
  1. male
  2. masculine
Adjective
  • If the American family is viewed as a hierarchy with the male patriarch at the top, then feminism is democratizing that structure.
    — Gloria Steinem, Glamour, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Female athletes and advocates say even one male competitor can displace girls, alter a state championship and affect college or NIL opportunities.
    — Alejandro Avila , Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of male
Adjective
  • In prison, which is a hyper-masculine space, there was this subtle thinking about masculinity.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Later, his father and uncle would initiate him into the masculine play worlds of Albany’s bars, poolrooms, and bowling alleys.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of masculine

Browse Nearby Words

viridity
virile
virility
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Cite this Entry

“Virile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/virile. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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