# violent
## English
### Etymology

From Middle English violent, from Old French violent, from Latin violentus, from vīs (“strength”). Displaced native Old English stræc. For the verb, compare French violenter.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈvaɪ.ə.lənt/, /ˈvaɪ.lənt/
* Rhymes: -aɪlənt
* Hyphenation: vi‧o‧l‧ent
* Audio (US):(file)

### Adjective

violent (comparative violenter or more violent, superlative violentest or most violent)
* Involving extreme force or motion.
    A violent wind ripped the branch from the tree.
* Involving physical conflict.
    We would rather negotiate, but we will use violent means if necessary.
* Likely to use physical force.
    The escaped prisoners are considered extremely violent.
* Intensely vivid.
    The artist expressed his emotional theme through violent colors.
** 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:We have already observed, that he was a very good-natured fellow, and he hath himself declared the violent attachment he had to the person and character of Jones […]
* Produced or effected by force; not spontaneous; unnatural.
** c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vi]:These violent delights have violent ends.
** 1684-1690, Thomas Burnet, Sacred Theory of the Earth
    and no violent state by his own Maxim, can be perpetual,
** 1667, John Milton, “Book IV”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:Ease would recant / Vows made in pain, as violent and void.
* This term needs a definition. Please help out and add a definition, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.
** 2025 March 1, Barney Ronay, “Crystal Palace through after Millwall keeper’s red for head-high tackle on Mateta”, in The Guardian‎:Palace made it 3-1 on 81 minutes, Nketiah nipping in to finish nicely, then doing a no-celebration pose in front of the away fans. Nketiah grew up a couple of miles from the Den. It felt, at the very least, like a neighbourly overture, and in violent contrast to the opening act at the other end.

#### Antonyms

* peaceful

#### Derived terms

* non-violent
* silent-but-violent
* violentism
* violent presumption
* violent profits
* violent relaxation
* violent storm

#### Related terms

* violence

#### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

### Verb

violent (third-person singular simple present violents, present participle violenting, simple past and past participle violented)
* (transitive, archaic) To urge with violence.
** 1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI):a great adversary , stepping in , so violented his Majesty to a trial

### Noun

violent (plural violents)
* (obsolete) An assailant.
** 1667, Richard Allestree, The Causes of the Decay of Christian Piety:Did the Covetous extortioner observe that he is involv'd in the same sentence, [and] remember that such Violents shall take not heaven, but hell, by force.

### Anagrams

* LOVEINT

## Catalan
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin violentus.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: (Central) [bi.uˈlen]
* IPA: (Balearic, Valencia) [vi.oˈlent]

### Adjective

violent (feminine violenta, masculine plural violents, feminine plural violentes)
* violent

#### Derived terms

* violentament

#### Related terms

* violència

### Further reading

* “violent” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
* “violent”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
* “violent” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
* “violent” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

## French
### Etymology 1

Inherited from Old French violent, borrowed from Latin violentus.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /vjɔ.lɑ̃/
* Audio:(file)
* Homophone: violents

#### Adjective

violent (feminine violente, masculine plural violents, feminine plural violentes)
* violent
* severe

### Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /vjɔl/
* Homophones: viol, viole, violes, viols

#### Verb

violent
* third-person plural present indicative/subjunctive of violer

### Further reading

* “violent”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

### Anagrams

* ventilo, voilent

## Latin
### Verb

violent
* third-person plural present active subjunctive of violō

## Middle English
### Alternative forms

* vyolent, wyolent, vilent

### Etymology

From Old French violent, from Latin violentus.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˌviːɔlˈɛnt/, /ˌviːəlˈɛnt/, /viəlˈɛnt/, /ˈviːəlɛnt/

### Adjective

violent (plural and weak singular violente)
* Violent, forcible, injury-causing.
* Potent, mighty, damaging, forceful
* Severe, extreme; excessive in magnitude.
* Tending to cause injuries; likely to cause violence.
* Abrupt; happening without warning or notice.
* (rare) Despotic, authoritarian; ruling unfairly.

#### Related terms

* violence
* violently

#### Descendants

* English: violent

#### References

* “vī̆olent, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-05-30.

## Occitan
### Etymology

From Latin violentus.

### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)

### Adjective

violent m (feminine singular violenta, masculine plural violents, feminine plural violentas)
* violent

#### Related terms

* violéncia

## Old French
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin violentus.

### Adjective

violent m (oblique and nominative feminine singular violent or violente)
* violent (using violence)

#### Descendants

* → Middle English: violent, vyolent, wyolent, vilent
** English: violent
* French: violent

## Piedmontese
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /vjuˈlɛŋt/

### Adjective

violent
* violent

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from French violent, Latin violentus.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /vi.oˈlent/

### Adjective

violent m or n (feminine singular violentă, masculine plural violenți, feminine and neuter plural violente)
* violent

#### Related terms

* violență