ferocious

adjective

fe·​ro·​cious fə-ˈrō-shəs 

1

: exhibiting or given to extreme fierceness and unrestrained violence and brutality

a ferocious predator

the ferocious butchery of women and children

2

: extremely intense

ferocious heat

The competition among the students was ferocious.

ferociously adverb

ferociousness noun

Synonyms

• acute
• almighty
• blistering
• deep
• dreadful
• excruciating
• explosive
• exquisite
• fearful
• fearsome
• fierce
• frightful
• furious
• ghastly
• hard
• heavy
• heavy-duty
• hellacious
• intense
• intensive
• keen
• profound
• terrible
• vehement
• vicious
• violent

Choose the Right Synonym for ferocious

fierce, ferocious, barbarous, savage, cruel mean showing fury or malignity in looks or actions.

fierce applies to humans and animals that inspire terror because of their wild and menacing aspect or fury in attack.

fierce warriors

ferocious implies extreme fierceness and unrestrained violence and brutality.

a ferocious dog

barbarous implies a ferocity or mercilessness regarded as unworthy of civilized people.

barbarous treatment of prisoners

savage implies the absence of inhibitions restraining civilized people filled with rage, lust, or other violent passion.

a savage criminal

cruel implies indifference to suffering and even positive pleasure in inflicting it.

the cruel jokes of schoolboys

Examples of ferocious in a Sentence

A ferocious wind swept the beach.

The competition among the students was ferocious.

Recent Examples on the Web

Tiger Adventure Vehicles View 17 Images As ferocious and unstoppable as its namesake, the all-new Panthera overland motorhome is designed to push the boundaries of RVing well beyond glamping resorts and National Park campgrounds. —New Atlas, 2 Nov. 2024

Images from Taiwan’s official Central News Agency and social media showed ferocious waves slamming into the coast of Taitung county, while parts of neighboring Hualien county were submerged in floodwaters. —Eric Cheung, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024

Newspeak, in 1984, destroys with the same ferocious efficiency that tanks and bombs do. —Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2024

The ferocious storm could land a once-in-a-century direct hit on Tampa and St. Petersburg, engulfing the populous region with towering storm surges and turning debris from Helene's devastation into projectiles. —Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 9 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin feroc-, ferox, literally, fierce looking, from ferus + -oc-, -ox (akin to Greek ōps eye) — more at eye

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

ferocious

adjective

fe·​ro·​cious fə-ˈrō-shəs 

1

: fierce sense 1, savage

2

: very great : extreme

ferocious heat

ferociously adverb

ferociousness noun

ferocity

fə-ˈräs-ət-ē

noun