vi ‧ o ‧ lent S3 W3 /ˈvaɪələnt/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ violence ≠ ↑ non-violence , ↑ violator , ↑ violation ; verb : ↑ violate ; adverb : ↑ violently ; adjective : ↑ violent ≠ ↑ non-violent ]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: Latin violentus ]
1 . involving actions that are intended to injure or kill people, by hitting them, shooting them etc:
the increase in violent crime
violent clashes between the police and demonstrators
31 people have been injured in violent incidents throughout the day.
The riots ended in the violent deaths of three teenagers.
2 . someone who is violent is likely to attack, hurt, or kill other people SYN aggressive :
My father was a violent and dangerous man.
He had a reputation for turning violent (=suddenly attacking people) .
3 . showing very strong angry emotions or opinions
violent quarrel/argument/row etc
They had a violent quarrel and John stormed out.
4 . violent feelings are strong and very difficult to control:
They took a violent dislike to each other.
She has a violent temper.
5 . violent headache/fit etc a physical feeling or reaction that is very painful or difficult to control
6 . violent film/play/drama a film etc that contains a lot of violence
7 . a violent storm/earthquake/explosion etc a storm etc that happens with a lot of force
8 . extremely bright:
Her cheeks turned a violent red colour.
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COLLOCATIONS
■ nouns
▪ a violent crime
He has a number of convictions for violent crime.
▪ a violent attack
Blacks were more often victims of violent attacks than other ethnic groups.
▪ a violent death
No French king died a violent death during this period.
▪ a violent clash
There were violent clashes between police and protesters.
▪ a violent incident
Violent incidents such as kidnapping dropped sharply last year.
▪ violent acts/behaviour
His dad terrified them all with his violent behaviour.
▪ a violent protest/demonstration
This incident sparked violent demonstrations outside the airbase.
■ adverbs
▪ very/extremely violent
an extremely violent attack
▪ increasingly violent
Over the past year, his behavior has become increasingly violent.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ violent /ˈvaɪələnt/ using force to hurt or kill people – used about people, crimes etc. Also used about films or books that contain a lot of violence:
a violent man who couldn’t control his temper
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the increase in violent crime
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The film is too violent to be shown to children.
▪ vicious /ˈvɪʃəs/ violent and dangerous, and seeming to enjoy hurting people for no reason:
a vicious attack on an unarmed man
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We were surrounded by a gang of vicious thugs, armed with knives.
▪ rough /rʌf/ using force or violence, but not causing serious injury:
Some of the boys were being a bit rough with the younger kids.
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There were complaints about rough treatment by the police.
▪ brutal /ˈbruːtl/ behaving in a way that is very cruel and violent, and showing no pity:
Idi Amin was a brutal dictator.
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a particularly brutal murder
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The prison guards were brutal and corrupt.
▪ savage /ˈsævɪdʒ/ attacking people in a particularly cruel way – used about people and fighting, especially in news reports:
a savage killer
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There was savage fighting in the capital Mogadishu.
▪ bloody a bloody battle or war is very violent and a lot of people are killed or injured:
a bloody civil war
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The Russians were engaged in a bloody battle against the German army.
▪ ferocious /fəˈrəʊʃəs/ a ferocious attack or battle is extremely violent. Also used about animals that are likley to attack in a very violent way:
The two armies fought a ferocious battle.
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a ferocious beast
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It was the most ferocious attack I have ever seen.
▪ fierce a fierce animal or person looks frightening and likely to attack people:
A fierce dog stood growling at the gate.
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Bears are always fierce when they have young.
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fierce bodyguards
▪ bloodthirsty a bloodthirsty person enjoys watching violence. A bloodthirsty story contains a lot of violent scenes:
In Mexico, humans were sacrificed to bloodthirsty gods.
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a bloodthirsty tale of revenge
▪ gory showing or describing injuries, blood, death etc clearly and in detail:
a gory horror movie
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The book was too gory for many readers.