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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
During his campaign for reelection in 2024, Trump, who turns 79 in June, sold digital trading cards that featured virile depictions of himself as a cowboy, superhero and astronaut, among other images.
—
Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 24 Mar. 2025
In The Empire’s frame, residents of a coastal village in northern France — gruff, virile fisherman Jony (Brandon Vlieghe) and teenage tease Line (Lyna Khoudri) — reveal their oddball allegiance to extraterrestrial invaders.
—Armond White, National Review, 14 Mar. 2025
The Victorians, perhaps sensing that Britain’s empire could not stay young and virile forever, took this Romantic dread and ran with it.
—Matthew Redmond, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2025
New cassette players are being manufactured and competition is virile, musicians are releasing more and more records on the format and Amazon is selling old cassettes like a bumper crop.
—Spin Team, SPIN, 28 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for virile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for virile
Adjective
-
DiCaprio is up for best performance by a male actor in a motion picture, while Infiniti is up for best performance by a female actor.—
-
On TikTok and Instagram, male creators post step-by-step makeup routines, product breakdowns and before-and-after results that often emphasize subtle changes rather than dramatic looks.—
Adjective
-
Brands like War Paint and Stryx argue that men need products designed for their thicker, oilier skin, and packaged in masculine, tool-like containers that feel at home in a gym bag.—
-
The suit – sharp, oversized, unapologetically masculine – changed all that.—
Cite this Entry
“Virile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/virile. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share