Violently

How to spell violently

9 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce violently

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does violently mean?

1. adverbIn a way that involves great physical force, intensity, or uncontrolled emotion.

Violently in a sentence

• The storm shook the windows so violently that the frames cracked.

• He reacted violently to the news, knocking the chair across the room.

Where does violently come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This adverb traces back to the Latin noun vis, which simply meant 'force' or 'strength'. From it came the adjective violentus, meaning 'forceful', 'vehement', or 'acting with great power', and that word described anything that overwhelmed resistance, whether a storm, a temper, or an attacking soldier. English took in the adjective 'violent' through Old French in the 1300s, and the adverb 'violently' was formed in English by adding the regular adverb ending -ly. The same Latin vis sits inside relatives such as 'violate' and 'violation', where force is used against something protected. The spelling trap is the unstressed middle: people hear three quick syllables and may drop the second 'l' or muddle the 'ent' before tacking on 'ly', so remembering it is simply violent plus -ly keeps it straight.

How the word is built

• viol- (from Latin vis: force)
• -ent (adjective suffix)
• -ly (adverb suffix)