violent
Americanadjective
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acting with or characterized by uncontrolled, strong, rough force.
a violent earthquake.
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caused by injurious or destructive force.
a violent death.
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intense in force, effect, etc.; severe; extreme.
violent pain;
violent cold.
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roughly or immoderately vehement or ardent.
violent passions.
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furious in impetuosity, energy, etc..
violent haste.
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of, relating to, or constituting a distortion of meaning or fact.
adjective
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marked or caused by great physical force or violence
a violent stab
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(of a person) tending to the use of violence, esp in order to injure or intimidate others
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marked by intensity of any kind
a violent clash of colours
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characterized by an undue use of force; severe; harsh
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caused by or displaying strong or undue mental or emotional force
a violent tongue
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tending to distort the meaning or intent
a violent interpretation of the text
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of violent
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Latin violentus, equivalent to vi-, shortening (before a vowel) of base of vīs “force, violence” + -olentus, variant (after a vowel) of -ulentus -ulent
Explanation
Something that's violent involves physical force or emotional intensity. If you hate violent movies, it means that you don't want to watch scenes of people being hurt or killed. Physically violent behavior ends in someone getting hurt or something being destroyed or damaged. You can also have violent emotions, like a violent burst of anger toward the slow driver in front of you, and you can use violent to describe something that's visually intense, like a violent orange-colored minivan. The word has gained in force since developing from the Latin word violentia, which means "vehemence or impetuosity."
Vocabulary lists containing violent
"The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Raven"
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ant, -ent
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Words to Describe a Movie
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Authorities say the protests have increasingly drawn in violent elements from outside the student movement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
"Australian children have a right to play online without being exposed to predators, sexual extortionists, violent extremist content or other harmful material," eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Luna points out that violent crime has fallen every year since he took office.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Artisanal prospectors began mining gold illegally on a large scale in Ivory Coast in the 2000s, at a time when violent political crises weakened the state.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
Once they were away from the Chamber of Pools, they turned the corner toward the violent sounds of machinery.
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
