VIOLENCES Synonyms: 183 Similar and Opposite Words

violence

noun

ˈvī-lən(t)s

Definition of violence next

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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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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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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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 By 1960, as Black voters and office-seekers continued to endure poll taxes and brutal violence in the Jim Crow South, the English-literacy test in New York affected mainly Puerto Ricans, then the city’s poorest ethnic group. —

Robert Polner, New York Daily News, 13 June 2026 America’s relations with its co-hosts are strained, and there are fears of cartel violence in Mexico. —

The Week Uk, TheWeek, 13 June 2026 The mayor’s social media message follows multiple incidents involving Knicks fans harassing Spurs supporters, some of which escalated into physical violence. —

Chantz Martin Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026 Photograph is more than a historical footnote For Haitians, however, looking for positive news amid their homeland’s political turmoil and gang violence, the photograph has become more than a historical footnote. —

Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 13 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for violence

Recent Examples of Synonyms for violence

Noun

If Helmy finds in the Party the kind of fellowship and outlet for his energies that a good career might otherwise have satisfied, Erich embraces his new identity with a snarling brutality that is a repudiation of his former sense of humiliation.

— Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2025
Bringing nuance to our understanding of Asian fetishization, Yu unveils not only her victimization but her participation and, ultimately, her healing and empowerment from the brutality of objectification.

— Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2025