violent

adjective

ˈvī-ə-lənt How to pronounce violent (audio)
Definition of violentnext
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

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 violent On July 4, and one state over, violent flooding killed more than 130 people in central Texas. — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026 Later that month, an employee spoke anonymously with WSOC-TV about conditions at the complex, describing concerns about overcrowding, inadequate staffing and employees’ ability to manage multiple violent juveniles at once. — Nora O’Neill 21, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026 At least 1,800 people were arrested this past weekend after violent groups clashed with law enforcement during nationwide protests over rising living costs and poor school conditions. — Mike Darnay, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026 Trump is correct that the United States has seen historic plunges in homicide, violent crime, robbery and property crime. — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for violent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for violent
  1. ferocious
  2. intense
  3. frantic
  4. aggressive
  5. turbulent
  6. intensive
  7. furious
  8. vigorous
Adjective
  • One of the most celebrated objects from the India Museum is a mechanical wooden sculpture of a ferocious tiger gnawing at a British soldier’s throat.
    — Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Wilson rocked the stanchion with a ferocious dunk in transition in the fourth quarter, only to have his next attempt at a full-court sprint smacked away by Jamal Shead, leading to a Leonard 3-pointer on the other end.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of ferocious
Adjective
  • The hearing took place amid the intense debate surrounding the risks posed by advanced AI models.
    — Ian Thomas,Colleen McKown, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Sexton’s intense playing style has remained as his career has evolved.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of intense
Adjective
  • There are plenty of other very cool pieces that become street style staples, but don’t inspire the same frantic desire.
    — Joan Kennedy, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Ajon Singh, who wrote the screenplay, spent a frantic week retooling it to persuade him to change his mind.
    — Alex Barasch, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of frantic
Adjective
  • Bam Adebayo wasn’t aggressive enough on the offensive side of the ball, which has been a consistent story line of his nine-year NBA career.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
  • On a network like this, rule-breaking often isn’t aggressive at all.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of aggressive
Adjective
  • Kansas has emerged as an unlikely battleground in a turbulent midterm election year for Republicans, who are striving to hold onto slim majorities in both chambers of Congress.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The production decision also follows a turbulent development history.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of turbulent
Adjective
  • Just a half-hour north of San Diego, the property is comprised of over 600 acres of hills, meadows, Japanese gardens, and citrus groves, including 30 miles of private hiking trails and five acres of bio-intensive gardens.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
  • On the cost side, Zuckerberg did acknowledge that Muse is currently very compute-intensive.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of intensive
Adjective
  • Coach Lance Leipold was furious after the call, which came on a KU sack.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Americans are furious about the state of our healthcare system.
    — Dylan Scott, Vox, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of furious
Adjective
  • Texas law requires elementary schools to provide at least 30 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity, which can be cut to 27 minutes per day if scheduling makes the full amount impractical.
    — Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Figures emerge from his signature black background, their silhouettes resolving and dissolving amid legato drips and vigorous brushwork.
    — Tara Anne Dalbow, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of vigorous

Browse Nearby Words

violence
violent
violently
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Violent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/violent. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All