go viral
/ɡoʊ ˈvaɪrəl/
Meaning
To go viral means to spread rapidly and widely across the internet, usually via social media, emails, or messaging apps. When a video, photo, or post goes viral, it receives millions of views and shares in a very short period. It is a casual expression used to describe sudden and massive online popularity.
Examples
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The video of the dancing cat went viral overnight, reaching ten million views.
The video of the dancing cat went viral overnight, reaching ten million views.
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Every content creator dreams of making a post that will go viral.
Every content creator dreams of making a post that will go viral.
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Her funny tweet about the delayed flight went viral within hours.
Her funny tweet about the delayed flight went viral within hours.
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If you want your video to go viral, it needs to be short and highly relatable.
If you want your video to go viral, it needs to be short and highly relatable.
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The local bakery's giant croissant went viral, causing long lines outside the shop.
The local bakery's giant croissant went viral, causing long lines outside the shop.
Common Mistakes
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✗ His post became viral on Instagram yesterday.
✓ His post went viral on Instagram yesterday.
While 'became viral' is occasionally understood, the standard, natural collocation used by native speakers is 'went viral' (using the verb 'go').
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✗ The video went virally and everyone saw it.
✓ The video went viral and everyone saw it.
'Viral' acts as an adjective describing the subject in this linking verb construction ('go + adjective'), so the adverb form 'virally' is incorrect here.
Related Expressions
Practice
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She woke up to find that her TikTok recipe had started to ___.
💡 To become extremely popular online very quickly.
Show answer
go viral
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It is hard to predict which meme will ___ next.
💡 Spread rapidly across social media platforms.
Show answer
go viral