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Preposition after adjective

Violent with, towards, to, for, or in

Violent towards and violent with are common for behaviour. Violent in refers to context or manner. Violent to and violent for are uncommon or nonstandard in most uses.

Quick answer

Which prepositions work with violent?

Use violent towards or violent with for aggressive behaviour directed at people or animals. Use violent in for a situation, action, or manner. Violent to and violent for are generally not standard combinations with this meaning.

He became violent towards the referee.
She was violent with her attackers.
The crowd turned violent in the final minutes.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
violent towards + person

Aggressive behaviour directed at someone

Towards introduces the target of aggression.

The suspect was violent towards police officers.
He became violent towards his classmates.
2
violent with + person

Using physical force against someone

With is common when describing physical treatment of a person.

The man was violent with his neighbour.
She warned that he could become violent with the children.
3
violent in + context

Describing a violent action or situation

In refers to the situation or manner where violence occurs.

The protest became violent in the evening.
He was unusually violent in his reaction.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
violent towards
The dog became violent towards strangers.
aggressive behaviour aimed at someone
violent with
He was violent with his partner.
physically abusive treatment
violent in
The dispute turned violent in the streets.
violence occurring in a context or situation
violent to
The phrase violent to someone is not standard for abusive behaviour.
generally avoided in modern English
violent for
Violent for is not an idiomatic combination with this adjective.
nonstandard except in unrelated structures

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using violent to for abuse

Use towards or with when referring to aggression against a person.

✕ He was violent to his brother. ✓ He was violent towards his brother.

Using violent for as a fixed pattern

Violent for is not a normal adjective-preposition combination.

✕ She became violent for small reasons. ✓ She became violent over small disagreements.

Confusing with and in

With names the person affected. In names the situation or manner.

✓ He was violent with staff in the interview room.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The patient became violent ___ the nurses.
2. The argument turned violent ___ the restaurant.
3. He was violent ___ his younger brother.

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Frequently asked questions

Is violent towards more common than violent to?

Yes. Violent towards is standard modern English. Violent to is generally avoided for this meaning.

Can violent with describe abuse?

Yes. Violent with often describes physical aggression against a person.

What does violent in mean?

It refers to violence occurring in a situation, action, or style of behaviour.

vacant, for, vacant, in, vacant, by "vague about", "vague in" or "vague on"? valid for, in, on, from or at? "valuable to", "valuable for" or "valuable in"? various of, in, from, on or with? "viable for" or "viable in"? "victorious in" or "victorious over"? "vigilant in" or "vigilant about"? "viral on" or "viral in"? "visible in" or "visible to"? "visual of", "visual for" or "visual in"? "vital to" or "vital for"?

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