violence

noun

ˈvī-lən(t)s How to pronounce violence (audio)
Definition of violencenext
1
as in brutality
the use of brute strength to cause harm to a person or property an act of violence caused the window to be shattered

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intensity
the quality or state of being forceful (as in expression) taken aback by the violence of her denial of any wrongdoing

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in emotion
depth of feeling some people were taken aback by the violence with which the magazine's art critic attacked the exhibition

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of violence Experts say the broadly positive changes are exceeding expectations, improving on baseline crime rates from before 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought historic surges in violence. — ABC News, 23 July 2026 The film centers on a school where a viral video of a student threatening his classmates surfaces online, and the situation spirals into escalating violence. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 23 July 2026 News accounts from the time indicate that the elder Azzaretto was threatening his wife – his sons’ mother – with violence when he was killed. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 23 July 2026 Your reporting often focuses on societies living with chronic instability, whether conflict, displacement, or political violence. — Andrei Popoviciu, The Dial, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for violence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for violence
  1. brutality
  2. intensity
  3. emotion
  4. injury
  5. aggressiveness
  6. enthusiasm
  7. assault
  8. warmth
Noun
  • Mishiali’s filmmaking does not overemphasize the brutality of this situation.
    — Elena Lazic, Variety, 15 July 2026
  • Not a particularly easy watch, to say the least, the complexly plotted film leans into the madness, and intense brutality experienced by the characters.
    — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 13 July 2026
Definition of brutality
Noun
  • Thursday afternoon’s thunderstorms could pack rainfall rates up to 2 inches per hour — an intensity that can quickly overwhelm drainage systems and flood urban areas.
    — Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
  • Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness especially in southeastern Europe, making the region more vulnerable to health impacts and wildfires.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026
Definition of intensity
Noun
  • As someone who fed on emotion and belonging throughout his career, Keegan had always felt the pull of Newcastle United, the club of his father.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • The testimony elicited visible emotion from Celeste’s family — her mother wiped away tears — who remained in court throughout the testimony.
    — Madeline Morrison, NBC news, 22 July 2026
Definition of emotion
Noun
  • The officer who had been injured by the knife fired his weapon, striking the man and causing life-threatening injuries.
    — Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
  • Vinnie Pasquantino missed nearly four weeks with a hamate injury.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026
Definition of injury
Noun
  • The coach hopes that expanded duties for Webb, a 2017 third-round pick who made one career NFL start, translate into growth for the Broncos’ offense and improvement for Nix in key areas, including accuracy, touch and aggressiveness.
    — Mike Jones, New York Times, 14 July 2026
  • Cannon breaks down the accountability, aggressiveness and the perspective needed to play effective defense after the team’s reset week.
    — John W. Davis, Oc Register, 5 July 2026
Definition of aggressiveness
Noun
  • The unexpected enthusiasm for Moonshot’s Kimi K3 model stems from its ability to match – and in some cases outperform – its most advanced US competitors, such as the latest iterations of OpenAI’s GPT and Anthropic’s Claude, for free.
    — John Liu, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
  • The results on Wednesday did nothing to squash the enthusiasm of bullish analysts and investors.
    — MacKenzie Sigalos,Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 23 July 2026
Definition of enthusiasm
Noun
  • Prosecutors said the elder Gray gave his son the assault-style rifle used to open fire at the school.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 July 2026
  • City Councilmember Rowena Brown said she was punched, choked and dragged by her hair through her downtown Oakland apartment over the weekend by an acquaintance who is now charged with felony counts of assault, robbery and false imprisonment.
    — Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 23 July 2026
Definition of assault
Noun
  • The Szechuan peppercorn brings a gentle numbing sensation, while the five-spice adds warmth and complexity.
    — Aly Walansky, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Lacy’s voice is nasal and occasionally a little wonky, which gives it unusual warmth.
    — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 22 July 2026
Definition of warmth

Browse Nearby Words

violations
violence
violent
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Cite this Entry

“Violence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/violence. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on violence

Nglish: Translation of violence for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about violence

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