violent
Americanadjective
-
acting with or characterized by uncontrolled, strong, rough force.
a violent earthquake.
-
caused by injurious or destructive force.
a violent death.
-
intense in force, effect, etc.; severe; extreme.
violent pain;
violent cold.
-
roughly or immoderately vehement or ardent.
violent passions.
-
furious in impetuosity, energy, etc..
violent haste.
-
of, relating to, or constituting a distortion of meaning or fact.
adjective
-
marked or caused by great physical force or violence
a violent stab
-
(of a person) tending to the use of violence, esp in order to injure or intimidate others
-
marked by intensity of any kind
a violent clash of colours
-
characterized by an undue use of force; severe; harsh
-
caused by or displaying strong or undue mental or emotional force
a violent tongue
-
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"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ant, -ent
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Words to Describe a Movie
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Violent offenders outnumber drug offenders in our prison system by nearly 4 to 1.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
Violent Islamist organizations do indeed spring up from time to time.
From Slate • Apr. 21, 2026
Violent attacks have also continued, according to Palestinian authorities and the UN.
From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026
Violent crime is relatively rare in Japan, which has a low murder rate and some of the world's toughest gun laws.
From Barron's • Dec. 26, 2025
Violent gusts of wind whipped at their faces.
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
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.
