violent

adjective vi·o·lent \ ˈvī-ə-lənt \

Definition of violent

1 a (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 movies

b :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

3 a :emotionally agitated to the point of using harmful physical force

became violent after an insult

b :prone to commit acts of violence

violent prison inmates

4 a :notably forceful, furious, or vehement

a violent argument

a violent denunciation

b :extreme, intense

violent pain

violent colors

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violently

adverb

See violent defined for English-language learners

See violent defined for kids

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

Then came the deadly events of Charlottesville, Virginia, where a major rally organized by white supremacists, neo-Nazis and Klan sympathizers resulted in violent clashes and the death of one counter-protester, 32-year-old Heather Heyer.

— carli teproff and patricia mazzei, miamiherald, "Will Hollywood take action on Confederate street names? Protesters state their case.," 30 Aug. 2017
So ask yourselves: With leftist antifa thugs becoming increasingly violent, and mealy-mouthed Democratic politicians hesitant to denounce potentially useful political muscle, who steps into the breach?

— john kass, chicagotribune.com, "The Democratic silence on antifa is dangerous," 29 Aug. 2017
Reform advocates say the city should also go after big-ticket reforms that help those charged with violent crimes, like Mr. Browder, who was charged with robbery.

— ashley southall, New York Times, "To Shrink Jail Population, a Bail Program Is Expanding," 29 Aug. 2017
Deputy District Attorney Nicole Rooney told the jury that the baby had been the victim of violent shaking on Sept. 5, 2013.

— kelly wheeler, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Mother Who Fatally Injured 9-Month-Old Child Sentenced to Life Term," 29 Aug. 2017
The conviction sparked violent protests by the guru’s followers that left at least 38 people dead and hundreds injured.

— muneeza naqvi, The Seattle Times, "Judge sends Indian guru to jail for 20 years in rapes," 28 Aug. 2017
The 15-foot bronze statue depicting the former Confederate officer was vandalized on Aug. 13, in the wake of a violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

— thomas novelly, The Courier-Journal, "Cleanup begins on vandalized Confederate statue in the Highlands," 28 Aug. 2017
Violent criminal activity occurs more frequently along the northern border and organized criminal groups may target public and private passenger buses traveling through Tamaulipas.

— leada gore, AL.com, "Mexico travel warning: State Department cautions tourists about violence in Cancun, Cozumel and more," 24 Aug. 2017
Beyond violent attacks, Apa and Cerrudo have found that the robots can also be subtle spies since the domestic robots come equipped with cameras and microphones.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Household Robots Are the Next Thing to Get Hacked," 23 Aug. 2017

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

violent Synonyms

Synonyms

bang-bang, blood-and-guts, convulsive, cyclonic, explosive, ferocious, fierce, furious, hammer-and-tongs, hot, knock-down, drag-out (or knock-down-and-drag-out), paroxysmal, rabid, rough, stormy, tempestuous, tumultuous, turbulent, volcanic

Antonyms

nonviolent, peaceable, peaceful

Related Words

barbarous, brutal, savage, vicious; antagonistic, hostile; aggressive, assertive, bellicose, belligerent, combative, contentious, gladiatorial, pugnacious, quarrelsome, truculent; combustible, volatile; agitated, frantic, frenzied, mad; cataclysmal (or cataclysmic), destructive, ruinous

Near Antonyms

calm, halcyon, pacific, serene, tranquil; nonbelligerent, unaggressive

VIOLENT Defined for English Language Learners

violent

adjective

Definition of violent for English Language Learners

: using or involving the use of physical force to cause harm or damage to someone or something : showing violence
: caused by physical force or violence
: trying to physically attack someone because of anger