violent

[ vahy-uh-luh nt ]

/ ˈvaɪ ə lənt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR violent ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

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.

Nearby words

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

Related forms

vi·o·lent·ly, adverbo·ver·vi·o·lent, adjectiveo·ver·vi·o·lent·ly, adverbo·ver·vi·o·lent·ness, noun

qua·si-vi·o·lent, adjectivequa·si-vi·o·lent·ly, adverbself-vi·o·lent, adjectiveul·tra·vi·o·lent, adjectiveul·tra·vi·o·lent·ly, adverbun·vi·o·lent, adjectiveun·vi·o·lent·ly, adverb

Can be confusedviolent virulent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for violent

Forget those silly “games played with the ball”; they are far “too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind.”
Forget the Resolutions; Try a Few Declarations|Kevin Bleyer|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
While violent offenses are dramatically down in Bed Stuy, pockets of violence persist here.
Anger at The Cop Killer - And The Police|M.L. Nestel|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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 2014|The Daily Beast|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

Along with this violent growth, Boko Haram has increasingly targeted women.
The New Face of Boko Haram’s Terror: Teen Girls|Nina Strochlic|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One bolt struck near with a tremendous shock and the air was driven in violent waves into the very mouth of the cave.
The Keepers of the Trail|Joseph A. Altsheler
A quarrel followed, in which Comte was so violent that Saint-Simon had to put the youth out of his house.
Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great Philosophers, Volume 8|Elbert Hubbard
Instead, however, of their laughter lessening, the cachinnations became so violent that I began to feel seriously alarmed.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 1, August 21, 1841|Various
How Ishtar came to take on so violent a character is not altogether clear.
The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria|Morris Jastrow
It commenced on the 8th of July and gave occasion to a violent scene.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Volume 1, No. 4, September, 1850|Various

British Dictionary definitions for violent

violent

/ (ˈvaɪələnt) /

adjective

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

Derived Formsviolently, adverb

Word Origin for violent

C14: from Latin violentus, probably from vīs strength

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for violent

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.