Viral describes a video, meme or post that spreads across the internet in a short time because people keep sharing it. The key phrase is go viral: the clip went viral overnight. Outside the internet, viral is the medical word: a viral infection.
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go viral; a viral video / post; spread virally
- The short clip went viral after viewers shared the unexpected ending.
- Her drawing became a viral image that appeared in thousands of messages.
- The joke spread virally, but many people never learned who wrote it.
What changed
First versionThe video went virally overnight.
RevisionThe video went viral overnight.
A verb is usually described by an adverb, so virally seems correct. But go here means “become”, as in go red or go quiet, and it needs an adjective: went viral. Save virally for spread: the joke spread virally.
Popular means liked, with no speed involved: a book can stay popular for years. Trending is what people are talking about right now. Viral is the explosive spread through sharing. In an essay, say was widely shared online.
Your turn
After thousands of people shared the clip, it went ___.
Show the answer
viral — After went in the sense of “became”, you need the adjective viral. Virally goes with the verb spread, not with go viral.
Describe a time when someone's video or photo suddenly spread across the internet. Use went viral.
The clip of the dog opening the garden gate went viral after the owner posted it.
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