virile

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈvɪrəl/ UK /ˈvɪraɪl/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
having strength, energy, or qualities regarded as masculine

The poem celebrated the virile vigor of youth.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · having strength, energy, or... manly masculine vigorous robust potent muscular

Opposites

effeminate impotent feeble weak

Word family

Forms virility

Derived forms virility

Related forms viragotriumvirdecemvir

Etymology

From Latin 'virilis' ('of a man, manly'), from 'vir' ('man, hero'), from Proto-Indo-European '*wiHrós' ('man').

virilis Latin vir Latin *wiHrós Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# virile

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈvɪrəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈvɪraɪl/

## Meanings
1. having strength, energy, or qualities regarded as masculine

## Examples
- The poem celebrated the virile vigor of youth.

## Synonyms
- manly
- masculine
- vigorous
- robust
- potent
- muscular

## Antonyms
- effeminate
- impotent
- feeble
- weak

## Derived Forms
- virility

## Related Forms
- virago
- triumvir
- decemvir

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: virilis
- Root: vir
- Root: *wiHrós

## Etymology
From Latin 'virilis' ('of a man, manly'), from 'vir' ('man, hero'), from Proto-Indo-European '*wiHrós' ('man').

## AI Etymology
Virile comes from Latin 'virilis' ('of a man, manly'), from 'vir' ('man, hero'), from Proto-Indo-European '*wiHrós' ('man'). In current use it is an adjective meaning "having strength, energy, or qualities regarded as masculine". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The history is mainly one of transmission into English, with the older form and sense carried through borrowing or adaptation. The historical chain includes Latin virilis, Latin vir, and Proto-Indo-European *wiHrós. Related English forms include virago, triumvir, and decemvir. A derived form is virility. For dictionary purposes, the important point is the continuity between the older form, the route into English, and the present lexical sense.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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