1
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
the ferocious appetite that athletic teenagers have been known to display
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2
as in fierce
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
ferocious forest fires threatened to destroy hundreds of homes in the scrubland
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3
as in savage
violently unfriendly or aggressive in disposition
the animal is known as a ferocious predator
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4
as in frantic
marked by great and often stressful excitement or activity
after a day of ferocious up-and-down trading, the stock market ended up down 300 points
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ferocious
Fueled by powerful winds and dry conditions, a series of ferocious wildfires erupted the second week of January and roared across the Los Angeles area.
—
Saba Hamedy, NBC News, 31 Jan. 2025
The cast does commendable work bringing their characters to life: Ashe’s Elham is ferocious, prickly, and competitive; Tabbal’s Omid is lovable but too good; Lalezarzadeh’s Goli is young, bright-eyed, yet wise; Pooya’s Roya is queenly, imposing, and devoted.
—Christian Lewis, Variety, 24 Jan. 2025
As climate change makes California’s already moody swings between wet and dry more ferocious, the state’s water problems between farmers, environmentalists and cities are getting harder to solve.
—Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 24 Jan. 2025
However, the Los Angeles fires demonstrate a new reality: Wildfires in the state are growing larger and more ferocious and burning into suburbs and cities more often, experts told USA TODAY.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ferocious
Saba Hamedy, NBC News, 31 Jan. 2025
The cast does commendable work bringing their characters to life: Ashe’s Elham is ferocious, prickly, and competitive; Tabbal’s Omid is lovable but too good; Lalezarzadeh’s Goli is young, bright-eyed, yet wise; Pooya’s Roya is queenly, imposing, and devoted.
—Christian Lewis, Variety, 24 Jan. 2025
As climate change makes California’s already moody swings between wet and dry more ferocious, the state’s water problems between farmers, environmentalists and cities are getting harder to solve.
—Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 24 Jan. 2025
However, the Los Angeles fires demonstrate a new reality: Wildfires in the state are growing larger and more ferocious and burning into suburbs and cities more often, experts told USA TODAY.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ferocious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ferocious
Adjective
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This is a performance that entwines intense physicality with simmering determination, and a sense of humor.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
TIME,
24 Feb. 2025
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In the background of a Gaza ceasefire, Israel has steadily escalated an intense military operation in Palestinian cities in the West Bank, killing dozens and displacing tens of thousands of residents.—
Mick Krever,
CNN,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The game between the fierce rivals was halted after 52 minutes due to fans throwing flares onto the pitch.—
Adam Crafton,
The Athletic,
25 Feb. 2025
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After the goalless draw in one of soccer’s fiercest rivalries, the Portuguese manager was yet again outspoken in his press conference.—
Ben Church,
CNN,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.—
Tom Yulsman,
Discover Magazine,
27 Dec. 2022
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The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2022
Adjective
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But maybe the final shot, the frantic one that assaulted the backboard, shouldn’t have counted.—
Fred Katz,
The Athletic,
21 Feb. 2025
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His frantic search for a replacement ate up 10 minutes of the psychedelic post-punk band’s 30-minute slot.—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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In particular, teams deploying fiber-optic drones that send and receive signals via millimeters-thick wires rather than via radio—a method of control that helps the operators circumvent intensive Ukrainian radio jamming.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
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The Shooting Stars award ceremony, held during the Berlin Film Festival, is the festive highlight and closing event of an intensive four-day program where the actors meet international casting directors and are presented to the international press.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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While keeping their relationship a secret for professional reasons, an unexpected promotion unravels their fraught romance, fueling a violent competition between the duo.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
21 Feb. 2025
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According to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, nearly three-quarters of those polled disapproved of Mr. Trump’s pardons for people convicted of violent crimes, and more than half disliked his pardons for even those convicted of nonviolent offenses.—
Meridith Kohut,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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More than 80 women went public with horrific tales of his brutal, coercive and punishing tactics, including launching vicious, career-crippling smear campaigns against those who eluded him, from Mira Sorvino to Ashley Judd.—
Scott Huver,
The Hollywood Reporter,
28 Feb. 2025
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Rushdie has since spoken out about the stabbing Rushdie, 77, testified in the Chautauqua County, New York trial and detailed the vicious attack that upended his life.—
Alana Wise,
NPR,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Cormack was furious, issuing a sharp rebuke, the official said.—
Brett Murphy,
ProPublica,
16 Feb. 2025
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According to the Sheriff’s Office: Following a furious chase through Cascade, the black Toyota Tundra pickup truck headed south on Idaho 55, weaving in and around traffic while deputies kept pace behind.—
Max Silverson,
Idaho Statesman,
14 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ferocious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ferocious. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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