1
as in ferocious
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
a violent explosion that left several buildings seriously damaged
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
a violent thunderstorm
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in frantic
marked by great and often stressful excitement or activity
our guest's imminent arrival provoked a violent effort to get the place cleaned up
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in aggressive
marked by or uttered with forcefulness
prone to violent denunciation of anyone who disagrees with her violent brushstrokes that were a trademark of the abstract artist
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of violent
Judges report receiving violent threats and intimidation tactics—including death threats and unsolicited pizzas sent to their homes—following adverse rulings against the administration, with federal marshal services overwhelmed by a 78% increase in threats against judges over four years.
—
Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2026
And yet this bird performs one of the most violent feats in the natural world.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson reacted Sunday to what has been a violent weekend so far.
—Asal Rezaei, CBS News, 24 May 2026
Why was there so little concern expressed about his decision to commute the sentences for violent and repeat offenders?
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for violent
Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2026
And yet this bird performs one of the most violent feats in the natural world.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson reacted Sunday to what has been a violent weekend so far.
—Asal Rezaei, CBS News, 24 May 2026
Why was there so little concern expressed about his decision to commute the sentences for violent and repeat offenders?
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for violent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for violent
Adjective
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The first wave of women’s-rights activists won suffrage for women, against ferocious and sometimes violent opposition.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
-
Featuring aching, ferocious performances from Emmy winners Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson, Camp Miasma imagines the resurrection of a dormant slasher franchise.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
11 May 2026
Adjective
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There is a brightness and its opposite, not darkness but another brightness, just as intense.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
-
Paxton voters are more intense in their contempt for Cornyn than vice versa.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
The resulting scene is spectacular, with the apartment’s inclined and polished floor giving rise to physical comedy of absurdist pathos in the vein of Jerry Lewis, and Corvette’s frantic struggle for traction revealing the earnest undertones of her fraught visit.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
22 May 2026
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In the right hands, delivered with an attitude that respects both the subjects and gallery visitors, this frantic exploration of cowboys and the West by art galleries can still have something to say.—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
Denver Post,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
That process can miss aggressive lesions in their earliest stages or lead to unnecessary procedures for harmless spots.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
25 May 2026
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Expect Polish, Italian, Brazilian, and Filipino legislators to lean on Magnifica Humanitas as cover for AI labor-protection legislation that looked aggressive a week ago.—
Gabriel Alin Zainescu,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
Adjective
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The collapse of its currency is changing that—placing Jakarta at the center of a turbulent 2026.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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The shutdown adds to a turbulent stretch for Madrigal’s restaurant empire.—
Reeti Malhotra
May 22,
Sacbee.com,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
The intensive land use required to grow corn for ethanol has its own effects on water quality and fertilizer use as well, Runge says.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
22 May 2026
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Upstairs, in the third-floor intensive-care unit, nurse Tammy Fritchey, a 27-year-veteran, places blankets and pillows over patients who are too sick to move, the ones on ventilators.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 May 2026
Adjective
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The rise of the tech sector has been fast and furious over the past decade, with contracts for communications, targeting, surveillance, information processing and pilotless vehicles going to emerging tech firms rather than the usual suspects.—
William Hartung,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
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My Instagram feed is flooded with selfie videos of furious Russians venting about internet disruptions, which have hit small businesses hard.—
Anna Nemtsova,
Time,
23 May 2026
Adjective
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Higher amounts of weekly moderate-to-vigorous activity—about 10 hours a week—were linked to substantially lower cardiovascular risk.—
Allison Forsyth,
Health,
22 May 2026
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Its war-like rhythms and relentless pulse give the work a vigorous sense of liberation.—
Sheila Regan,
Twin Cities,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Violent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/violent. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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