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
-
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
- overviolent adjective
- overviolentness noun
- quasi-violent adjective
- self-violent adjective
- ultraviolent adjective
- unviolent adjective
- violently adverb
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
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.
No verdict was reached for charges of violent disorder for Head, Corner and Kamio.
From BBC
The violent phase of the selloff appears to have ended.
From MarketWatch
"This is not the slow, decades-long gentrification often seen in Western cities. It's a rapid, almost violent reshaping that is already forcing millions of residents to the margins," he writes.
From BBC
The fund, which had more than $5 billion in assets before Friday’s plunge, is one example of the debt-fueled bets tied to metals that likely contributed to their rise and subsequent violent correction.
On the other hand, David Johnston had been concerned about a violent eruption since the moment he set foot on Mount St. Helens.
From Literature
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.
