ultraviolence

noun

ul·​tra·​vi·​o·​lence ˌəl-trə-ˈvī-lən(t)s How to pronounce ultraviolence (audio)
-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
ultraviolent adjective
… the ultraviolent Oliver Stone movie "Natural Born Killers," about a young couple who take drugs and kill people for pleasure. Mark Miller

Examples of ultraviolence in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 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 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 Both of these projects promoted ultraviolence, demonic Satanism, ritualistic torture, and pedophilia. Ali Winston, WIRED, 1 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 That the dude just brutally murdered multiple Jedi, including a Force-using Wookiee and two other main characters in a deadly blur of ultraviolence? EW.com, 26 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ultraviolence was in 1849

Dictionary Entries Near ultraviolence

Cite this Entry

“Ultraviolence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ultraviolence. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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