violent

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.

• IPA^(key): /ˈvaɪ.ə.lənt/, /ˈvaɪ.lənt/
• Rhymes: -aɪlənt
• Hyphenation: vi‧o‧l‧ent

• Audio (US):

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violent (comparative violenter or more violent, superlative violentest or most violent)

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.

   • 2019 May 13, David Robson, “The '3.5% rule': How a small minority can change the world”, in BBC‎^[1]:

     Looking at hundreds of campaigns over the last century, Chenoweth found that nonviolent campaigns are twice as likely to achieve their goals as violent campaigns.

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.

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:

     We have already observed, that he was a very good-natured fellow, and he hath himself declared the violent attachment he had to the person and character of Jones […]

5. Produced or effected by force; not spontaneous; unnatural.
   • c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vi]:

     These violent delights have violent ends.

   • 1684-1690, Thomas Burnet, Sacred Theory of the Earth

     and no violent state by his own Maxim, can be perpetual,

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book IV”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

     Ease would recant / Vows made in pain, as violent and void.

6. Acute, extreme, sharp.
   • 2025 March 1, Barney Ronay, “Crystal Palace through after Millwall keeper’s red for head-high tackle on Mateta”, in The Guardian‎^[2]:

     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.

• peaceful

• violence

violent (third-person singular simple present violents, present participle violenting, simple past and past participle violented)

1. (transitive, archaic) To urge with violence.
   • 1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI):

     a great adversary , stepping in , so violented his Majesty to a trial

violent (plural violents)

1. (obsolete) An assailant.
   • 1667, Richard Allestree, The Causes of the Decay of Christian Piety:

     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.

• LOVEINT

Borrowed from Latin violentus.

• IPA^(key): (Central) [bi.uˈlen]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Valencia) [vi.oˈlent]

• Audio (Catalonia):

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violent (feminine violenta, masculine plural violents, feminine plural violentes)

1. violent

• violentament

• violència

• “violent”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “violent”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
• “violent” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “violent” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Inherited from Old French violent, borrowed from Latin violentus.

• IPA^(key): /vjɔ.lɑ̃/

• Audio:

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• Homophone: violents

violent (feminine violente, masculine plural violents, feminine plural violentes)

1. violent
2. severe

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

• IPA^(key): /vjɔl/
• Homophones: viol, viole, violes, viols

violent

1. third-person plural present indicative/subjunctive of violer

• “violent”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

• ventilo, voilent

violent

1. third-person plural present active subjunctive of violō

• vyolent, wyolent, vilent

From Old French violent, from Latin violentus.

• IPA^(key): /ˌviːɔlˈɛnt/, /ˌviːəlˈɛnt/, /viəlˈɛnt/, /ˈviːəlɛnt/

violent (plural and weak singular violente)

1. Violent, forcible, injury-causing.
2. Potent, mighty, damaging, forceful
3. Severe, extreme; excessive in magnitude.
4. Tending to cause injuries; likely to cause violence.
5. Abrupt; happening without warning or notice.
6. (rare) Despotic, authoritarian; ruling unfairly.

• violence
• violently

• English: violent

• “vī̆olent, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 30 May 2019.

From Latin violentus.

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violent m (feminine singular violenta, masculine plural violents, feminine plural violentas)

1. violent

• violéncia

Borrowed from Latin violentus.

violent m (oblique and nominative feminine singular violent or violente)

1. violent (using violence)

• → Middle English: violent, vyolent, wyolent, vilent
  • English: violent
• French: violent

• IPA^(key): /vjuˈlɛŋt/

violent

1. violent

Borrowed from French violent, Latin violentus.

• IPA^(key): /vi.oˈlent/

violent m or n (feminine singular violentă, masculine plural violenți, feminine and neuter plural violente)

1. violent

• violență