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 While certain periods of 19th-century Austin could be considered part of the Wild West, the past decades here have seen the casualty count from gun violence in Austin and statewide grow to previously unimaginable levels. —

Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 7 Mar. 2026 Grimes’s narrative is raw and unsparing, laying bare not only relentless physical violence but also psychological trauma with no time or refuge to heal. —

Regina E. Mason, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2026 Beyond providing spaces so people can connect and accompany one another, Johnson aims to keep organizing with the North Hartford Public Safety Coalition, proposing concrete solutions around police accountability, traffic, violence prevention and violence interruption. —

Mariana Navarrete Villegas, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026 Other big stories ➤ As military conflict and violence spread throughout the Middle East, fuel prices are rising in Arizona. —

Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 7 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for violence

Recent Examples of Synonyms for violence

Noun

Is there also a whiff of nostalgia in the slow movement, for a world disintegrating in brutality?

— Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 6 Mar. 2026
An Iranian man living in Colorado who fled after the 1970s revolution to keep his wife and daughters safe and free, says his generation regrets supporting the change in government that led to decades of brutality.

— Chierstin Roth, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026