ultraviolence
noun
ul·tra·vi·o·lence
ˌəl-trə-ˈvī-lən(t)s 
-ˈvī-ə-
: extreme or excessive violence
As is so often the case in films of this kind, the ultraviolence is denounced as obscene and demeaning, but the film makers—and the audiences—clearly enjoy each sick and sickening sensation.—
Arthur Knight
Arthur Knight
ultraviolent
ˌəl-trə-ˈvī-lənt
adjective
-ˈvī-ə-
… the ultraviolent Oliver Stone movie "Natural Born Killers," about a young couple who take drugs and kill people for pleasure.
—Mark Miller
Mark Miller
Examples of ultraviolence in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ska, like punk, attracted extremist elements looking for ultraviolence.
—Ian Penman, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
Factor in all the poor life choices college students are famed for and some extremely creative (if often disgusting) superpowers, then allow for The Boys' trademark ultraviolence, and one thing's for sure—the kids of Gen V are most definitely not alright.
—Matt Kamen, WIRED, 30 Nov. 2024
There is a truth to the complaint inherent in discussions about the enthusiastic ultraviolence in and around trap and drill in the past decade.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
With his second sequel (also Christmas-themed), Leone ramps up Art’s already-notorious appetite for ultraviolence, putting Sienna through her most hellish encounter yet.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2024
Half a century later, the scene seems no less appalling, given the way Stanley Kubrick made such ultraviolence look like fun for the demented kids who were doing it.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 31 Aug. 2024
The ultraviolence hits an unsteady critical mass point somewhere around the arrival of the Wolverine clone — and all the gore can feel at odds with the elegiac tone.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 26 July 2024
Ritchie’s film, which opens in theaters Friday, takes the increasingly prolific director’s fondness for swaggering, exploitation-style ultraviolence and applies it to a real-life stealth mission that would have been thrilling enough if it had been told with a little historical accuracy.
—Jake Coyle, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2024
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Ian Penman, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
Factor in all the poor life choices college students are famed for and some extremely creative (if often disgusting) superpowers, then allow for The Boys' trademark ultraviolence, and one thing's for sure—the kids of Gen V are most definitely not alright.
—Matt Kamen, WIRED, 30 Nov. 2024
There is a truth to the complaint inherent in discussions about the enthusiastic ultraviolence in and around trap and drill in the past decade.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
With his second sequel (also Christmas-themed), Leone ramps up Art’s already-notorious appetite for ultraviolence, putting Sienna through her most hellish encounter yet.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2024
Half a century later, the scene seems no less appalling, given the way Stanley Kubrick made such ultraviolence look like fun for the demented kids who were doing it.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 31 Aug. 2024
The ultraviolence hits an unsteady critical mass point somewhere around the arrival of the Wolverine clone — and all the gore can feel at odds with the elegiac tone.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 26 July 2024
Ritchie’s film, which opens in theaters Friday, takes the increasingly prolific director’s fondness for swaggering, exploitation-style ultraviolence and applies it to a real-life stealth mission that would have been thrilling enough if it had been told with a little historical accuracy.
—Jake Coyle, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Ultraviolence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ultraviolence. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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