1
as in ferocious
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
a violent explosion that left several buildings seriously damaged
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
a violent thunderstorm
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in frantic
marked by great and often stressful excitement or activity
our guest's imminent arrival provoked a violent effort to get the place cleaned up
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in aggressive
marked by or uttered with forcefulness
prone to violent denunciation of anyone who disagrees with her violent brushstrokes that were a trademark of the abstract artist
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of violent
The case reflects the growth of voice scams, fueled by AI, and illustrates how online and telephone scams can sometimes have violent consequences.
—
Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 8 Feb. 2026
High schools spend a great amount of time attempting to defuse the violent actions teenagers see as a resolution to their problems.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
Lindsey Vonn’s Olympic comeback bid ended with a violent crash early in her first downhill skiing run Sunday.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
In Send Help, Linda (McAdams) and her overbearing boss Bradley (Dylan O’Brien) survive a plane crash and become stranded on a deserted island, where their past office grievances become a violent fight for survival.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for violent
Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 8 Feb. 2026
High schools spend a great amount of time attempting to defuse the violent actions teenagers see as a resolution to their problems.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
Lindsey Vonn’s Olympic comeback bid ended with a violent crash early in her first downhill skiing run Sunday.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
In Send Help, Linda (McAdams) and her overbearing boss Bradley (Dylan O’Brien) survive a plane crash and become stranded on a deserted island, where their past office grievances become a violent fight for survival.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for violent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for violent
Adjective
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The press was ferocious and organised, with the number of box entries and chances created being higher than any league performance this season.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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What Lee did not anticipate was the iron resolve, the ferocious tenacity, of the Union defenders.—
Jamelle Bouie,
Mercury News,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Many Olympians—Nordic skiers, for instance—pay a lot of attention to a measure called their VO2 max—the highest volume of oxygen your body can consume and use during a minute of intense exercise.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
11 Feb. 2026
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Valentine’s Day in a first teen relationship should feel simple, sweet, and age-appropriate, not intense or pressured.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Maya is frantic, given that this is her boss’ car.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
13 Feb. 2026
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Despite first gaining notoriety as a frantic comedy YouTuber, the singer has spent most of the last decade as a purveyor of somber alt-R&B.—
Mehan Jayasuriya,
Pitchfork,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In the meantime, an unstable government could become more rather than less aggressive, not least to keep younger hard-liners from rebelling.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Feb. 2026
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Wiener helped push two new California laws last year — the No Secret Police Act and the No Vigilantes Act — in the wake of intense and aggressive immigration enforcement by masked ICE and other federal agents in California and around the country.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The faces of those women represented an unbroken chain of those who survived turbulent histories before me.—
Lara N. Dotson-Renta,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
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This is something that is common around young stars that have turbulent and violent environments, but is uncommon for stars as old as ASASSN-24fw, estimated to be around 1 billion years old.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Members provide intensive mentoring, conflict mediation, case management, and connections to job training and mental health services to people at the highest risk of being involved in gun violence.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
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But, for those looking for a slightly less intensive experience, the semi-serious murder party—which tends to take place, and to wrap up, during one dinner—has come roaring back in popularity.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Saturday evening, police released a photo of Haile Cummings, 34, who is being sought in connection with the furious shoot-out inside Taste of the City Lounge on Franklin Ave.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
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That may not be enough to stop furious lawmakers trying to eject the prime minister from office over his failure of judgment.—
Jill Lawless,
Fortune,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Benign conditions like an enlarged prostate, prostatitis (inflammation), recent ejaculation, vigorous exercise or even a long bike ride can temporarily push your PSA up.—
Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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Federal guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week, with some sort of muscle-strengthening exercise on two days.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Violent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/violent. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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