violent
adjective
vi·o·lent
ˈvī-ə-lənt 
1
a(1)
: marked by the use of usually harmful or destructive physical force
a violent attack
violent crime
The peaceful demonstration turned violent.
(2)
: showing or including violence
violent movies
b
: extremely powerful or forceful and capable of causing damage
violent storms
violent coughing
2
: caused by physical force or violence : not natural
a violent death
3
a
: emotionally agitated to the point of using harmful physical force
became violent after an insult
b
: prone to commit acts of violence
violent prison inmates
violently
adverb
Examples of violent in a Sentence
They witnessed a violent struggle between police and protesters.
The peaceful protest suddenly turned violent.
The city has experienced an increase in violent crime in the past year.
The final scene was extremely violent.
She suffered a violent death in a car accident.
The patient suddenly became violent and had to be restrained.
He's not a particularly violent person.
Recent Examples on the Web
The two got married, had a baby, and started a quiet life together far away from his violent past.
—
Allison Degrushe Published, EW.com, 14 July 2025
As droves of tourists continue to flock to Spain for European summer vacations, the nation’s emergency responders are dealing with the aftermath of a violent wave of flash flooding in nearly half of the country’s 50 provinces.
—Opheli Garcia Lawler, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2025
Protests, some violent, erupted outside ballot-counting centers.
—Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 July 2025
The violent clash over immigration enforcement erupted July 10 during a raid at a marijuana farm in Camarillo, California.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for violent
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Allison Degrushe Published, EW.com, 14 July 2025
As droves of tourists continue to flock to Spain for European summer vacations, the nation’s emergency responders are dealing with the aftermath of a violent wave of flash flooding in nearly half of the country’s 50 provinces.
—Opheli Garcia Lawler, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2025
Protests, some violent, erupted outside ballot-counting centers.
—Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 July 2025
The violent clash over immigration enforcement erupted July 10 during a raid at a marijuana farm in Camarillo, California.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for violent
Cite this Entry
“Violent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/violent. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
violent
adjective
vi·o·lent
ˈvī-ə-lənt
1
: marked by great force or sudden activity
a violent attack of coughing
violent storms
2
a
: especially furious or emotional
a violent denial of guilt
b
: intense sense 1
violent pain
3
: caused by force
a violent death
4
a
: acting with or characterized by harmful physical force : exercising or marked by violence
a violent person
violent actions
b
: having a tendency to carry out acts of violence
violent prison inmates
violently
adverb
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