violence

violence

noun

Definition of VIOLENCE

1

the use of brute strength to cause harm to a person or property <the police believe that the woman died of natural causes rather than as a result of violence>

Synonyms force, foul play

Related Words coercion, compulsion, constraint, duress, pressure; barbarity, brutality, savagery; damage, detriment, harm, hurt, impairment, injury; crippling, maiming, mayhem, mutilation; assault, attack, bashing, battering, battery, batting, beating, belting, bludgeoning, buffeting, clubbing, cudgeling (or cudgelling), drubbing, flogging, hammering, lacing, licking, mauling, paddling, pelting, pommeling (or pommelling), pounding, pummeling (also pummelling), smashing, socking, thrashing, thumping, tromping, walloping, whaling, whipping; frenzy, fury, onslaught, outbreak, outrage, paroxysm, rage, rampage, revolt, riot, rupture, shock, storm, terror, threat, tumult, turbulence, upheaval, uproar; browbeating, bulldozing, bullying, hectoring, strong-arming

Near Antonyms pacificism, pacifism

Antonyms nonviolence

2

the quality or state of being forceful (as in expression) <taken aback by the violence of her denial of any wrongdoing>

Synonyms aggressiveness, assertiveness, emphasis, fierceness, forcefulness, intenseness, intensity, vigorousness, violence

Related Words potency, power, strength; eloquence; ardency, ardor, fervency, fervidness, fervor, insistence, passion, warmth; stridency, vociferousness; absoluteness, clearness, directness, incision, incisiveness, plainness, straightforwardness, vividness

Near Antonyms ambiguity, equivocation; delicacy, lightness, subtlety

Antonyms feebleness, mildness, weakness

3

depth of feeling <some people were taken aback by the violence with which the magazine's art critic attacked the exhibition>

Synonyms ardency, emotion, enthusiasm, fervency, fervidness, fervor, fire, heat, intenseness, intensity, passion, passionateness, vehemence, violence, warmth, white heat

Related Words cathexis; emotionalism, emotionality, histrionics, mawkishness, melodrama, sappiness, sentimentality; eagerness, earnestness, excitement, gusto, keenness, zest; fanaticism, fever, hot-bloodedness, infatuation, mania, obsession, zeal; compassion, responsiveness, sentiment, sympathy, tenderness; torridity, torridness

Near Antonyms aloofness, calmness, collectedness, composure, detachedness, dryness, phlegm, reserve, reservedness, reticence, taciturnity; apathy, indifference, stoicism, stoniness, unconcern; stiffness, woodenness; chilliness, coldness, coolness, frigidity, frigidness

Antonyms impassiveness, impassivity, insensibility, insensibleness, insensitiveness, insensitivity