- The definition of violent is forceful, dangerous or causing great injury or death.
An example of something violent is a storm that knocks down houses, trees and power lines.
- acting with or characterized by great physical force, so as to injure, damage, or destroy
- acting or characterized by force unlawfully or callously used
- caused by violence: a violent death
- showing, or resulting from, strong feeling or emotion; vehement; furious: violent language
- emotionally disturbed to an uncontrollable degree
- extreme; intense; very strong: a violent storm
- tending to distort the meaning: to put a violent construction on a text
Origin of violentMiddle English ; from Middle French ; from Classical Latin violentus, violent, akin to violare, to violate
- a. Causing or intending to cause damage, injury, or death, often when involving great force: a violent car crash; a violent attack.b. Characterized by or displaying physical violence: a violent past; a violent movie.c. Caused by unexpected force or injury rather than by natural causes: a violent death.d. Given to physical violence: a violent criminal.
- a. Very forceful: the violent tossing of the ship by the waves; a violent squall.b. Intense or extreme, especially in emotion: violent anger.c. Characterized by extreme emotion, especially anger: a violent argument.
- Vivid, as in brightness or saturation: violent colors.
- Tending to distort meaning or intent: a violent interpretation of a text.
Origin of violentMiddle English, from Old French, from Latin violentus, from vīs, vi-, force; see wei&schwa;- in Indo-European roots.
(comparative violenter or more violent, superlative violentest or most violent)
- Involving extreme force or motion.
- A violent wind ripped the branch from the tree.
- Involving physical conflict.
- We would rather negotiate, but we will use violent means if needed.
- Likely to use physical force.
- The escaped prisoners are considered extremely violent.
- Intensely vivid.
- The artist expressed his emotional theme through violent colors.
- T. Burnet
- No violent state can be perpetual.
- Ease would recant / Vows made in pain, as violent and void.
(third-person singular simple present violents, present participle violenting, simple past and past participle violented)
- (obsolete) An assailant.