violent

English

Etymology

Etymology tree
Latin violentuslbor.
Old French violentbor.
Middle English violent
English 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.

    Pronunciation

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

    Adjective

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

    1. Involving extreme force or motion.
      Synonym: (literary) impetuous
      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], archived from the original on 10 October 2026:
        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.
      his violent objections to the plan
    5. Produced or effected by force; not spontaneous; unnatural.
    6. Acute, extreme, sharp.
      a violent headache
      • 2025 March 1, Barney Ronay, “Crystal Palace through after Millwall keeper’s red for head-high tackle on Mateta”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian‎[2], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 15 October 2026:
        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.

    Antonyms

    Derived terms

    Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
    Translations to be checked

    Verb

    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

    Noun

    violent (plural violents)

    1. (obsolete) An assailant.
      • 1667, attributed to Richard Allestree, The Causes of the Decay of Christian Piety. […], London: […] R. Norton for T. Garthwait, […], →OCLC:
        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.

    Anagrams

    Catalan

    Etymology

      Learned borrowing from Latin violentus.

      Pronunciation

      Adjective

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

      1. violent

      Derived terms

      Further reading

      French

      Etymology 1

      Inherited from Old French violent, borrowed from Latin violentus.

      Pronunciation

      • IPA(key): /vjɔ.lɑ̃/
      • Audio:(file)
      • Homophone: violents

      Adjective

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

      1. violent
      2. severe

      Etymology 2

      See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

      Pronunciation

      Verb

      violent

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

      Further reading

      Anagrams

      Latin

      Verb

      violent

      1. third-person plural present active subjunctive of violō

      Middle English

      Alternative forms

      Etymology

      Etymology tree
      Latin violentuslbor.
      Old French violentbor.
      Middle English violent

        From Old French violent, from Latin violentus.

        Pronunciation

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

        Adjective

        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.

        Descendants

        • English: violent

        References

        Occitan

        Etymology

        From Latin violentus.

        Pronunciation

        Adjective

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

        1. violent

        Old French

        Etymology

          Learned borrowing from Latin violentus.

          Adjective

          violent m (feminine violent or violente)

          1. violent (using violence)

          Descendants

          Piedmontese

          Pronunciation

          • IPA(key): /vjuˈlɛŋt/

          Adjective

          violent

          1. violent

          Romanian

          Etymology

          Borrowed from French violent, Latin violentus.

          Pronunciation

          • IPA(key): /vi.oˈlent/

          Adjective

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

          1. violent

          Declension

          Declension of violent
          singular plural
          masculine neuter feminine masculine neuter feminine
          nominative-
          accusative           		indefinite violent violentă violenți violente
          definite violentul violenta violenții violentele
          genitive-
          dative           		indefinite violent violente violenți violente
          definite violentului violentei violenților violentelor
          This page is issued from Wiktionary. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.