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 When a camera is taken offline, an investigative lead can disappear, and a time-sensitive alert tied to an AMBER Alert, a missing-person case, or a violent crime suspect on the move may never reach the officers who need it. — Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026 SmartAsset reviewed cities with populations between 65,000 and 250,000, scoring them based on violent crime rate, property crime rate, auto fatality rate and natural disaster risk. — Kimberly Tutuska, Charlotte Observer, 6 Aug. 2026 Other violent livestreams On the same day as Hilton's livestream, a Mexican influencer with over 600,000 TikTok followers was shot and killed during a livestream. — Moises Mendez Ii, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2026 Miller’s volatile behavior allegedly dates back years In the court records reviewed by Mother Jones, Emily Moreno accused Miller of violent behavior toward women dating back to high school. — Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 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
  • To the world, McRae is a strong, fearless entertainer, a triple threat who can pen songs that recall the fizzy pop of the early aughts and bring them to life as a ferocious singer and dancer.
    — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026
  • In 1970, Milton Friedman’s ferocious political essay in the New York Times, and the agency-theorizing that followed provided sufficient intellectual justification.
    — Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of ferocious
Adjective
  • An unusually intense El Niño event is gathering strength in the tropical Pacific in a hurry.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Thousands of Offers Nazareth University, located near Rochester, New York, is using direct admissions in part to reach those outside of the state where competition for students is particularly intense.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of intense
Adjective
  • His grandmother's frantic cleaning ahead of Passover, Hallegua’s favorite season.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The heist goes wrong when one sister injures her back and ends up trapped on the second floor, setting off an increasingly frantic bid to get out before the homeowner comes home.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of frantic
Adjective
  • In many cars, an aggressive recuperation pitches the passengers and driver forward.
    — Mark Ewing, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Jason Semore’s defenses, with his aggressive 4-2-5 scheme, typically rack up interceptions.
    — Fisher Isbell, AJC.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of aggressive
Adjective
  • Investment firms of ultrawealthy families showed no signs of slowing down in July despite a turbulent month for markets between a sharp correction and soaring energy prices.
    — Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Images of the sun’s surface that were published in a new study show turbulent, vortex-like structures in unprecedented detail.
    — Miriam Waldvogel, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of turbulent
Adjective
  • Both these ingredients are extremely energy intensive, raising concerns about energy demands if they are scaled in their current forms.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Companies are exploring off-planet storage, cloud-like computing, AI processing, data sovereignty and potentially power-intensive workloads in orbit.
    — Ben Topor, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of intensive
Adjective
  • That episode inspires a Gospel story where Jesus is asleep on a cushion in the stern of the boat during a furious storm.
    — John Blake, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The nine innings the Giants played that followed the furious flurry of medical updates didn’t do much to lift the vibes.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 29 July 2026
Definition of furious
Adjective
  • For large, mature plants, dividing can also help support vigorous blooming, as overcrowding can negatively impact the plant’s ability to develop blooms.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Varieties like Elberta Peach and Redhaven Peach are popular for their vigorous growth and often produce fruit within the first year under optimal conditions.
    — SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 28 July 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 8 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on violent

Nglish: Translation of violent for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nurture

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
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
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All