VIOLENTLY Synonyms: 78 Similar and Opposite Words

violently

adverb

as in sharply

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 violently The element reacts violently with moisture, corrodes rapidly in normal air, and poses an immediate fire hazard if exposed to humidity. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026 Ideologies held by Kirk and others like him, Miles said, are the reason Black people have been violently murdered. — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Sep. 2026 When women tried to march for their rights, they were violently suppressed, and by 2023, nearly all those in Afghan jails were political prisoners, and many were tortured. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 31 Aug. 2026 As a brief respite, the silly friend in your group chat, who keeps violently inconsistent hours, has shared something that will probably not break your heart, which seems as worthy an offering as any. — Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2026 Just minutes into the mass, the prayer and song were violently interrupted by gunfire. — Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026 In 1974, the New York City music scene was shocked into consciousness by the violently new and raw sound of a band of misfits from Queens called the Ramones. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026 Pretti was using his phone to record immigration agents when officers violently shoved a protester towards him, video showed. — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 25 Aug. 2026 Pumping at high speeds creates a suction vortex (upconing) that violently draws heavy sludge into the production stream, fouling piping and destroying surface pumps. — Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for violently

Adverb

In recent weeks, new cases and deaths have declined in Ituri province, the outbreak's epicenter, but risen sharply in neighboring North Kivu and Haut-Uele, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said at a weekly briefing.

— JEAN-YVES KAMALE, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026
The defense's account differs sharply from prosecutors' allegations.

— Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of sharply

Adverb

But critics of the proposal fiercely rejected the plan over concerns about introducing private interests into the world’s largest soccer tournament that would expect to make a profit on their investment.

— Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 4 Sep. 2026
The only companies that have to worry about a federal antitrust prosecution at this point are those that Trump fiercely dislikes.

— James Surowiecki, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of fiercely

Adverb

Yet despite those signings not panning out, the owners are hell-bent on a salary cap, while the players are vehemently opposed.

— Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Sep. 2026
AfD leaders in Saxony-Anhalt are also courting the more right-wing factions of the mainstream conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) – though Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vehemently ruled out any cooperation.

— Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of vehemently

Adverb

Officials added that people cannot become infected with Naegleria fowleri by swallowing contaminated water; however, the amoeba can enter the body when it is forcefully introduced, such as through the nose into the brain.

— Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
Officers forcefully entered the residence to find a deceased naked woman on the bedroom floor in the back of the apartment.

— Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of forcefully

Adverb

Fu urged Taiwan’s government to protect Wang’s family and ensure they would not be forcibly returned to mainland China.

— Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
The other option for the United States is a land invasion aimed at forcibly ousting the Iranian regime.

— JAMES F. JEFFREY, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of forcibly

Adverb

Replant the area with vigorously growing groundcovers or turfgrass because any spot of bare soil is an opportunity for stiltgrass to resprout.

— Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 9 Sep. 2026
Cook, stirring vigorously and breaking up pockets of flour as needed, until a thin film forms on bottom and sides of pan and dough comes together into a single mass, 2–3 minutes.

— Alexia Duchêne, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of vigorously

Adverb

In what is often considered Pelechian’s magnum opus, the ancient antagonism of nature and humanity plays out in a depiction of a remote farming community, energetically scored with Armenian folk music and Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons.

— Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2026
Plenty of his peers filled the void, none more energetically than Chesney, who has by now built a beachy brand that almost rivals Buffett’s.

— Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 19 July 2026

Definition of energetically

Browse Nearby Words

violent

violently

violinist

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Violently.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/violently. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of violently

adverb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

empirical

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes