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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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of violent
The United States Sentencing Commission reported that violent offenders recidivate more often, more quickly and more likely for another violent crime again than non-violent offenders.
—
Robert Weiner and Katherine White, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2025
This sets the village up as a violent frontier milieu.
—Bartolomeo Sala, The Dial, 27 Mar. 2025
The Indiana Crime Guns Task Force was signed into law in 2021 and addresses violent crime in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Morgan, Johnson and Shelby counties, according to the Indiana General Assembly’s website.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2025
The storm, which produced violent tornadoes, raging wildfires, and blinding dust storms, decimated homes, toppled vehicles, and left entire communities reeling from the devastation.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for violent
Robert Weiner and Katherine White, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2025
This sets the village up as a violent frontier milieu.
—Bartolomeo Sala, The Dial, 27 Mar. 2025
The Indiana Crime Guns Task Force was signed into law in 2021 and addresses violent crime in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Morgan, Johnson and Shelby counties, according to the Indiana General Assembly’s website.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2025
The storm, which produced violent tornadoes, raging wildfires, and blinding dust storms, decimated homes, toppled vehicles, and left entire communities reeling from the devastation.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for violent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for violent
Adjective
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Hot Spring Shark Attack is set in a small, hot spring town in Japan, where a ferocious ancient shark reawakens and terrorizes the local hot spring facilities.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
20 Mar. 2025
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Moments of ferocious, wall-of-noise intensity come interspersed with passages of beautiful calm, like vape breaks between stints inside a dungeon rave.—
Sam Davies,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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After the match finished in a 1-1 draw, Ferguson and West Ham’s unused substitutions had an intense running session on the Goodison Park pitch with a backroom staff member.—
Roshane Thomas,
The Athletic,
20 Mar. 2025
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Already, court challenges against the president’s latest moves are emerging, and intense mainstream media coverage has, of course, cast what he’s done in a highly negative light.—
The Editors,
National Review,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But frantic calls to her husband’s doctor’s office resulted in an appointment 10 days later.—
Sara Belcher,
People.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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The trailer opens with a frantic DiCaprio grabbing a payphone to call into the rebellion using secret codes.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Trump prompts a more aggressive digital posture Democrats adopted a more combative stance online in recent weeks as Trump’s moves to slash the federal workforce drew protests from liberals and pushback at GOP town halls.—
Matt Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2025
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As a result, teams are taking a more aggressive approach.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Starting a new business is never without risk, but in the last few turbulent years of the pandemic and the ensuing turbulence, the risks have felt that much higher.—
Alison Coleman,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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The Rundown Trump's Looming War for a Key Trade Route Will Be Costly As President Donald Trump seeks to assert U.S. influence across the globe by implementing stiff tariffs and threatening to seize the Panama Canal, his first economically motivated hot war looms in the turbulent seas off Yemen.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Both regions came under heavy attack during intensive Israeli air strikes.—
Sarah Ferguson,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
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After this close encounter with intensive factory farming, the narrator vows to go vegan.—
Bartolomeo Sala,
The Dial,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The Leafs hatched a furious last-minute comeback to force overtime, only to lose 6-5 in a shootout to the Sharks, Toronto’s second such loss to San Jose this month.—
Jonas Siegel,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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Martin’s work has taken on a furious pace in the past few months amid the Trump administration’s campaign against diversity, equity and inclusion protocols and health, welfare and Medicaid cuts that will fall hard on vulnerable Black Americans.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Bandolero lantanas from Syngenta are bred to have larger flowers, more vigorous growth, and lots of branching on compact plants.—
Viveka Neveln,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 Mar. 2025
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About 70 percent of the sounds were accompanied by a calm, swaying body movement, while 25 percent came with vigorous thrashing of the head or body.—
Sara Hashemi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
26 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Violent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/violent. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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