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Violent - 6 dictionary results

vi⋅o⋅lent

  [vahy-uh-luhnt]
Use Violent in a Sentence
–adjective
1. acting with or characterized by uncontrolled, strong, rough force: a violent earthquake.
2. caused by injurious or destructive force: a violent death.
3. intense in force, effect, etc.; severe; extreme: violent pain; violent cold.
4. roughly or immoderately vehement or ardent: violent passions.
5. furious in impetuosity, energy, etc.: violent haste.
6. of, pertaining to, or constituting a distortion of meaning or fact.
Origin:
1300–50; ME < L violentus, equiv. to vi-, shortening (before a vowel) of base of vīs force, violence + -olentus, var. (after a vowel) of -ulentus -ulent

Related forms:
vi⋅o⋅lent⋅ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To Violent
vi·o·lent   (vī'ə-lənt)   
adj.  
  1. Marked by, acting with, or resulting from great force: a violent attack.
  2. Having or showing great emotional force: violent dislike.
  3. Marked by intensity; extreme: violent pain; a violent squall. See Synonyms at intense.
  4. Caused by unexpected force or injury rather than by natural causes: a violent death.
  5. Tending to distort or injure meaning, phrasing, or intent.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin violentus, from vīs, vi-, force; see weiə- in Indo-European roots.]
vi'o·lent·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Violent

Vi"o*lent\, a. [F., from L. violentus, from vis strength, force; probably akin to Gr. ? a muscle, strength.]

1. Moving or acting with physical strength; urged or impelled with force; excited by strong feeling or passion; forcible; vehement; impetuous; fierce; furious; severe; as, a violent blow; the violent attack of a disease.

Float upon a wild and violent sea. --Shak.

A violent cross wind from either coast. --Milton.

2. Acting, characterized, or produced by unjust or improper force; outrageous; unauthorized; as, a violent attack on the right of free speech.

To bring forth more violent deeds. --Milton.

Some violent hands were laid on Humphrey's life. --Shak.

3. Produced or effected by force; not spontaneous; unnatural; abnormal.

These violent delights have violent ends. --Shak.

No violent state can be perpetual. --T. Burnet.

Ease would recant Vows made in pain, as violent and void. --Milton.

Violent presumption (Law), presumption of a fact that arises from proof of circumstances which necessarily attend such facts.

Violent profits (Scots Law), rents or profits of an estate obtained by a tenant wrongfully holding over after warning. They are recoverable in a process of removing.

Syn: Fierce; vehement; outrageous; boisterous; turbulent; impetuous; passionate; severe; extreme.

Violent

Vi"o*lent\, n. An assailant. [Obs.] --Dr. H. More.

Violent

Vi"o*lent\, v. t. [Cf. F. violenter.] To urge with violence. [Obs.] --Fuller.

Violent

Vi"o*lent\, v. i. To be violent; to act violently. [Obs.]

The grief is fine, full, perfect, that I taste, And violenteth in a sense as strong As that which causeth it. --Shak.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : Violent
Spanish: violento,
German: heftig,
Japanese: 激しい
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