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Definition of violent
1a (1) : marked by the use of usually harmful or destructive physical force a violent attack violent crime The peaceful demonstration turned violent. (2) : showing or including violence violent moviesb : extremely powerful or forceful and capable of causing damage violent storms violent coughing
2 : caused by physical force or violence : not natural a violent death
3a : emotionally agitated to the point of using harmful physical force became violent after an insultb : prone to commit acts of violence violent prison inmates
4a : notably forceful, furious, or vehement a violent argument a violent denunciationb : extreme, intense violent pain violent colors
violently
adverbExplore Merriam-Webster
Examples of violent in a Sentence
They witnessed a violent struggle between police and protesters.
The peaceful protest suddenly turned violent.
The city has experienced an increase in violent crime in the past year.
The final scene was extremely violent.
She suffered a violent death in a car accident.
The patient suddenly became violent and had to be restrained.
He's not a particularly violent person.
Recent Examples of violent from the Web
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The reason everyone is surprised is that the duo's previous correspondence has had a violent streak, and included Azealia's threat to kill Iggy on Twitter.
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In the public imagination, America is the brash young houseguest: violent, forthright with opinion, unimpressed by pretentious tradition, and permanently unable to shake off an unfortunate background in trade.
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Anti-fascists hijacked the student protest and turned it violent.
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Initially, the show also had to overcome some critical controversy and concern about whether Westworld was just another genre show where the systematic and violent abuse of women existed simply for thrills and chills.
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In Houston, which sought to join the El Cenizo lawsuit Friday, police noted a sharp decline in reports by Hispanics of sexual assault and violent crime in the first three months of 2017, compared to the same period last year.
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The suspect, whom police describe as a man in his 20s, about 6 feet tall and weighing about 180 lbs, should be considered dangerous, as the robbery was violent, police said.
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The change is partly a response to recent violent incidents and problems such as trespassing at the district’s commuter rail stations and along the tracks.
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Officers from across the Police Department now attend biweekly intelligence-gathering meetings to share information and discuss violent crime trends.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'violent'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of violent
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin violentus; akin to Latin vis strength — more at vim
VIOLENT Defined for English Language Learners
violent
playDefinition of violent for English Language Learners
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: using or involving the use of physical force to cause harm or damage to someone or something : showing violence
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: caused by physical force or violence
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: trying to physically attack someone because of anger
VIOLENT Defined for Kids
violent
playDefinition of violent for Students
violently
adverb The ground shook violently.Learn More about violent
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for violent Spanish Central: Translation of violent Nglish: Translation of violent for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of violent for Arabic speakers
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