violent
[vahy-uh-luh nt]
- 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.
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Origin of violent
1300–50; Middle English < Latin violentus, equivalent to vi-, shortening (before a vowel) of base of vīs force, violence + -olentus, variant (after a vowel) of -ulentus -ulent
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
savagecrazymurderoushomicidalpowerfulviciousbrutalcruelpotentfiercepassionatehystericaluncontrollableharshturbulentdevastatingterribleoutrageousintensepainfulExamples from the Web for violent
Contemporary Examples
Forget those silly “games played with the ball”; they are far “too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind.”
While violent offenses are dramatically down in Bed Stuy, pockets of violence persist here.
On and offline, offenses ranged from awful Tinder messages to violent threats on Twitter to street stalking.
10 Things That Made Us Want to Turn Off the Internet Forever in 2014The Daily Beast
December 15, 2014
And, also, the violent version is, I think a little bit too much for a comedy.
Sony Emails Show How the Studio Plans to Censor Kim Jong Un Assassination Comedy ‘The Interview’William Boot
December 15, 2014
Along with this violent growth, Boko Haram has increasingly targeted women.
Historical Examples
Many replies were made to Mr. Gladstone's pamphlet that were violent and abusive.
The Grand Old ManRichard B. Cook
You are your mother's girl, think what you will; and have violent spirits to contend with.
Clarissa, Volume 1 (of 9)Samuel Richardson
What saved the two of them was the violent temper of the man.
Within the LawMarvin Dana
But, what roused him in violent resentment only appealed to Sidney's curiosity.
KMary Roberts Rinehart
He was as wicked as most of the race, fierce, violent, and voluptuous.
Cameos from English History, from Rollo to Edward IICharlotte Mary Yonge
violent
- marked or caused by great physical force or violencea violent stab
- (of a person) tending to the use of violence, esp in order to injure or intimidate others
- marked by intensity of any kinda violent clash of colours
- characterized by an undue use of force; severe; harsh
- caused by or displaying strong or undue mental or emotional forcea violent tongue
- tending to distort the meaning or intenta violent interpretation of the text
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Word Origin
C14: from Latin violentus, probably from vīs strength
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for violent
adj.
mid-14c.; see violence. In Middle English the word also was applied in reference to heat, sunlight, smoke, etc., with the sense "having some quality so strongly as to produce a powerful effect." Related: Violently.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper