violence

violence — noun

1. ways of acting that are deliberately meant to harm, injure, or damage people or

1.nounB1
Definition

ways of acting that are deliberately meant to harm, injure, or damage people or property, often by applying bodily strength

Example

The government condemned the violence that broke out after the election results were announced.

condemn + violence: formal collocation

Iris's family fled their home country to escape the ongoing violence in the region.

Common collocations
  • domestic violence
  • political violence
  • physical violence
  • committed violence
  • use violence
  • resort to violence
  • a victim of violence
Synonyms
  • brutality

    suggests cruel and merciless treatment, often with a repetitive element; stronger emotional charge than violence

  • aggression

    focuses on the hostile or attacking behaviour itself rather than the harm caused

  • savagery

    implies extreme, primitive, or unbridled cruelty; stronger and more graphic than violence

Antonyms
  • peace

    a state without conflict or fighting

  • non-violence

    the principle of avoiding the use of physical force

Grammar Patterns

violence + against + [someone/something]

violence + towards + [someone]

Usage Note

Usually uncountable. Use "an act of violence" for a single event. Distinguish from sense 3, which refers to a specific countable incident rather than the general concept.

Common Mistakes

She was arrested for violence against the police officer.
She was arrested for committing violence against the police officer.
The verb 'commit' or 'use' is needed before 'violence' in this context.
There was many violence at the protest.
There was a lot of violence at the protest.
'Violence' is uncountable and cannot be used with 'many'.
He violence his younger brother.
He used violence against his younger brother.
'Violence' is a noun, not a verb.

2. great physical force or strength in nature that is powerful, destructive, or dif

2.nounB2
Definition

great physical force or strength in nature that is powerful, destructive, or difficult to control

Example

The violence of the storm destroyed hundreds of homes along the coast.

violence of [natural phenomenon]: extreme force of nature

Bilal was shocked by the violence of the waves crashing against the rocks.

Common collocations
  • the violence of the storm
  • the violence of the wind
  • the violence of the waves
  • the violence of the earthquake
Synonyms
  • force

    more neutral and general; violence emphasises destructiveness

  • fury

    suggests uncontrolled, angry force; more literary and emotionally charged

  • power

    broader and less negative; does not imply destruction

Antonyms
  • calm

    a state of stillness or gentle conditions

  • gentleness

    the quality of being mild and soft rather than forceful

Grammar Patterns

the violence of + [natural phenomenon]

Usage Note

Always used in the pattern "the violence of + [wind / storm / waves / earthquake]". Never used with 'commit' or 'use' — physical forces do not 'commit' violence; they 'show' or 'display' it.

Common Mistakes

The storm committed violence on the village.
The violence of the storm destroyed the village.
'Commit violence' is used for human actions, not natural forces.

3. a specific incident or event in which a person is physically attacked, injured,

3.nounB2
Definition

a specific incident or event in which a person is physically attacked, injured, or treated with brutal force

Example

The protest remained peaceful, with no acts of violence reported throughout the day.

act/acts of violence: countable noun phrase

Eleni was the victim of a random act of violence while walking home from work.

Common collocations
  • an act of violence
  • acts of violence
  • violence against women
  • violence against civilians
  • political violence
  • ethnic violence
Synonyms
  • assault

    a specific legal term for a physical attack; narrower and more formal than an act of violence

  • attack

    broader than violence; can include non-physical forms such as verbal attacks

  • aggression

    emphasises the hostile intent; can be physical or verbal

Antonyms
  • peace

    absence of conflict or attack

  • restraint

    the act of holding back from using force

Grammar Patterns

act(s) of violence

violence against + [someone]

Usage Note

This is the countable sense — it refers to individual events rather than the general concept. Typically used in the phrase "act(s) of violence" or "violence against". Usually in formal or journalistic registers.

Common Mistakes

The police reported three violences last night.
The police reported three acts of violence last night.
'Violence' is not a countable noun; use 'acts of violence' for individual incidents.
He committed an act of violence towards his neighbour.
He committed an act of violence against his neighbour.
The correct preposition with 'violence' is 'against', not 'towards'.

4. great emotional intensity, passion, or energy that is expressed forcefully in wo

4.nounC1
Definition

great emotional intensity, passion, or energy that is expressed forcefully in words, feelings, or actions

Example

The violence of Gita's emotions surprised everyone in the therapy session.

violence of + emotion: abstract intensity

Nicholas could barely control the violence of his anger when he heard the news.

Common collocations
  • the violence of her emotions
  • the violence of his anger
  • the violence of their passion
  • the violence of the feeling
Synonyms
  • intensity

    more neutral and broader; violence implies a sharper, more uncontrolled edge

  • passion

    focuses on strong feelings, often positive or neutral; violence suggests a darker, more forceful quality

  • vehemence

    very close in meaning; slightly more formal and less common

Antonyms
  • calmness

    a state of emotional stillness and peace

  • mildness

    the quality of being gentle and moderate

Grammar Patterns

the violence of + [emotion/feeling/expression]

Usage Note

Only used in formal or literary contexts. The pattern is always "the violence of + [abstract noun: anger, emotion, passion, feeling]". Do not use this sense in everyday conversation or news reporting about physical harm — that would be sense 1.

Common Mistakes

The violence of her anger caused physical damage.
The violence of her anger overwhelmed everyone in the room.
Even in this abstract sense, use it for emotional impact, not literal physical destruction.
Idioms

do violence to something

idiom

to damage, spoil, or change something good, especially an idea, principle, or piece of work, so that it loses its original value or meaning

The movie does violence to the original novel by changing the entire ending.

Adisa felt that the new translation did violence to the poet's original meaning.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Violence' is the broadest term, covering any physical behaviour intended to cause harm. 'Brutality' goes a step further — it suggests cruelty and a lack of mercy, often with repeated or systematic infliction of pain (e.g., "police brutality"). 'Aggression' focuses on the attacking or hostile attitude behind the behaviour rather than the harm itself; someone can show aggression without committing physical violence. 'Force' is the most neutral — it simply means physical strength or energy used to move or change something, and is not inherently negative. For example: "The security guard used reasonable force to restrain the suspect" (force — appropriate, non-harmful) vs. "The guard used excessive violence against the suspect" (violence — harmful, wrongful).

violence ↗brutalityaggression ↗force

Common collocations

Nouns

  • act of
  • outbreak of
  • wave of
  • cycle of
  • form of
  • threat of
  • scale of

Adverbs

  • physically
  • sexually
  • domestically
  • politically
  • systematically

Phrases

  • resort to violence
  • condemn violence
  • denounce violence
  • prevent violence
  • witness violence
  • survive violence
  • commit an act of violence

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'violentia', meaning 'vehemence, impetuosity, ferocity', derived from 'vis' meaning 'strength, force, power'. The word entered English through Old French 'violence' in the 13th century, initially carrying the same broad sense of physical force. Over time, the meaning narrowed toward deliberate harm in the primary sense, while the original 'force' meaning survives in senses 2 and 4.