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virally

virally

1 4.1
In a way that spreads quickly online to many people
  • adverb
  • /ˈvaɪrəli/
  • Texting
translation icon : viralmente
  • It has been shown recently with this "Fake Steve Jobs" and "The Last Lollipop" that you can virally attract a huge audience in a very short time.
  • spread virally
  • virally on social media

It's spread almost entirely through word of mouth, virally across teachers, parents, people involved in education.

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Examples

  • Its interface and framework allow a person to spread news virally as quickly as any social bookmarking service.

    Blog text (16)
  • Software will spread virally more than ever before, but it will be increasingly done in person and off the web.

    Blog text (4)
  • It's spread almost entirely through word of mouth, virally across teachers, parents, people involved in education.

  • In the future, fans will fund new recordings, tell artists which songs they like, and share their enthusiasm virally with friends.

    Blog text (27)
  • EMI will work with MXP4 to deploy music and games to fans through artist fan pages, consistently some of the most popular pages on Facebook, which can then be shared virally across the site.

    Blog text (4)
  • Videos about the new dance challenge spread virally across social media, entertaining millions within days.

  • One tweet can quickly make a message travel virally, reaching audiences far beyond its original context.

  • Several educational campaigns have gone virally, encouraging positive behavior changes worldwide.

Synonyms

pervasively
vsvirally
2 6.6

In a way that spreads widely through a place or among many people

means rapid and wide online spread rather than slow general presence
infectiously
vsvirally
1 4.2

In a way that quickly makes other people feel the same

focuses on rapid wide spread mainly via internet platforms
contagiously
vsvirally
1 4.8

In a way that spreads quickly to other people, like a laugh or a smile

often implies rapid online sharing rather than personal contact
epidemically
vsvirally
6.7

In a way that spreads quickly and widely like a disease

is used for rapid spread especially through internet and social media
catchingly
vsvirally
6.8

In a way that makes people notice and want to copy it

spreads rapidly online due to quick sharing rather than simple appeal
prevalently
vsvirally
3.6

In a way that happens often in many places or among many people

indicates fast social media driven spread rather than mere commonness

How Viral

globally
77 3.5
virally
  • Texting
1 4.1
widely
388 1.0
locally
127 1.4
sporadically
13 6.5

Surface Forms

virally positive

Morphology

virally = viral (semi-transparent) = virus + al + ly

Formed from 'viral' + '-ly'; the adverbial formation is regular, but the internet sense is a figurative extension of medical meaning and may not be obvious to learners who only know the literal medical sense.

Etymology

Virally comes from viral, which itself comes from the Latin word virus meaning 'poison'; today we think of a virus as a tiny germ that spreads fast, so something shared virally moves quickly and reaches many people like a real virus does.