violently
Americanadverb
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in a way that involves uncontrolled or destructive force.
He struck the table violently with his clenched fist and shouted for more.
Dramatic video shows soldiers violently removing voters from polling stations.
-
in an intense or extreme way.
He was violently ill after ten minutes, but soon recovered fully.
We were awoken early in the morning when the house began shaking violently.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of violently
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.
"The train started rocking violently and then I remember clocking eyes with this guy and then there was a lot of screaming," passenger Rachel Heath said.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Nitrocellulose was invented in the mid-19th century, when Swiss chemist Christian Friedrich Schönbein accidentally discovered that cotton became violently flammable after dipping in an acid mix.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
As the water moves beyond the constricted section, pressure rises and the bubbles violently collapse.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026
During a recent storm, my house shook violently from the wind.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026
August moves again, snorting and rolling violently onto his back.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
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.
