violent
English meaning: Violent
Definition
An assailant.
Example
“The peaceful demonstration suddenly turned violent.”
Another example: “A violent storm tore the roof off several houses.”
Usage — When, Where & How
Most common as an adjective meaning involving physical force intended to harm ('violent crime', 'violent storm'), or very strong/intense ('violent emotions'). Neutral to formal register; the noun sense ('an assailant') is rare and literary.
Etymology & Origin
English — Origin & History
From Old French 'violent', from Latin 'violentus' (forceful), from 'vis' (force); 14th century.
Synonyms
Antonyms / Opposites
Related Words
Common Collocations
- violent crime
- violent behaviour
- violent storm
- violent protest
- turn violent
- violent death
Word Forms
violence (n); violent (adj); violently (adv)
Word Tools
Literary Heritage
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
/To thine own self be true/
“Be honest with yourself — and as naturally as night follows day, you will be unable to be false to others.”
“I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?”
/I'm nobody! Who are you?/
“I am nobody — and that quiet anonymity is more honest than the noise of public fame.”
Images
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Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
- Speakers
- 1.5B