Violent
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Definitions
- 1 An assailant. obsolete
"Did the Covetous extortioner observe that he is involv'd in the same sentence, [and] remember that such Violents shall take not heaven, but hell, by force."
- 1 To urge with violence. archaic, transitive
"a great adversary , stepping in , so violented his Majesty to a trial"
- 1 Involving extreme force or motion.
"A violent wind ripped the branch from the tree."
- 2 Involving physical conflict.
"We would rather negotiate, but we will use violent means if necessary."
- 3 Likely to use physical force.
"The escaped prisoners are considered extremely violent."
- 4 Intensely vivid.
"The artist expressed his emotional theme through violent colors."
- 5 Produced or effected by force; not spontaneous; unnatural.
"These violent delights have violent ends."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Acute, extreme, sharp.
"Palace made it 3-1 on 81 minutes, Nketiah nipping in to finish nicely, then doing a no-celebration pose in front of the away fans. Nketiah grew up a couple of miles from the Den. It felt, at the very least, like a neighbourly overture, and in violent contrast to the opening act at the other end."
- 1 characterized by violence or bloodshed wordnet
- 2 marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions; inclined to react violently; fervid wordnet
- 3 (of colors or sounds) intensely vivid or loud wordnet
- 4 effected by force or injury rather than natural causes wordnet
- 5 acting with or marked by or resulting from great force or energy or emotional intensity wordnet
Example
More examples"There was a violent storm at sea."
Etymology
From Middle English violent, from Old French violent, from Latin violentus, from vīs (“strength”). Displaced native Old English stræc. For the verb, compare French violenter.