1
as in ferocious
violently unfriendly or aggressive in disposition
the Vikings had a well-earned reputation for being fierce warriors
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2
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
a fierce wind made the frigid temperatures seem even worse
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3
as in gruff
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
the fierce faces of the players on the opposing hockey team
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4
as in aggressive
having or showing a bold forcefulness in the pursuit of a goal
a social reformer of fierce and fearless determination
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5
as in violent
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
fierce fighting raged in the streets of the war-torn city
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6
as in frantic
marked by great and often stressful excitement or activity
fierce early-morning trading sent stocks soaring
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as in intensity
the quality or state of being forceful (as in expression)
the fierceness of her denial prompted many people to wonder if maybe she was innocent after all
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fierce
Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
Hungary is one of the largest remaining importers of Russian oil and gas in Europe and has come under fierce criticism by backers of Ukraine for his relationship with Vladimir Putin.
—Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
Create a communications and social media platform that is wired to fight back with the same fierceness and determination as the IDF.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fierce
Adjective
For enslaved people, the Revolution was a fierce campaign to stage the largest exodus out of bondage since biblical times.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
Hungary is one of the largest remaining importers of Russian oil and gas in Europe and has come under fierce criticism by backers of Ukraine for his relationship with Vladimir Putin.
—Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
James has an earnest charm, Christine a solid fierceness and Fidler a relatable fragility.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
Create a communications and social media platform that is wired to fight back with the same fierceness and determination as the IDF.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fierce
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fierce
Adjective
-
Just a big ferocious ball of meat, claws, and teeth.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Though the storm did not make a direct hit on Haiti, its ferocious rains caused rivers to flood and jump their banks.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Gas and dust fall into a rotating disk around the black hole, and as the debris spirals more rapidly, it becomes superheated, releasing intense radiation.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
True Ipomea batatas has bright orange flesh (although modern varieties have much more intense colors than older forms), occasionally white and rarely purple.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Patterson was hired in a guest role as the gruff diner owner with a heart of gold, Luke Danes.—
Anika Reed,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Burr plays a gruff American record-store owner who convinces a ragtag gang of teenage misfits that their best, and possibly only, chance to lose their virginity before graduating high school is at a massive open-air mass for the visiting Pope.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
That’s the kind of chance that last season, a more aggressive-looking Stolarz would have used his frame — and frankly, his big-game presence — to turn away with ease.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
The agency has also faced criticism for aggressive tactics used by ICE agents in executing the president’s immigration policy.—
Andy Rose 19 hr ago,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Rising number of violent incidents, 911 calls But reducing the inmate population did not solve the problem with drugs and violence.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
5 Nov. 2025
-
After Maggie and Paul were shot to death on June 7, 2021, Alex was found guilty of two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime, earning two consecutive life sentences without possibility of parole.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Marissa’s frantic initial attempts to find him and figure out what happened create a suspenseful, frightening opening.—
Hilary Lewis,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Nov. 2025
-
As the family's frantic search begins, the media is quick to point the finger at Marissa and her friend, Jenny Kaminski (Fanning), whose nanny, Carrie Finch (Sophia Lillis), becomes the prime suspect.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Their weakness is an inability to maintain a consistent intensity throughout an entire game.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
The country’s meteorological agency PAGASA upgraded the storm to a super typhoon on its intensity scale, recording maximum wind speeds of 185 kph (115 mph) and gusts of 230 kph (143 mph).—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The Edmund Fitzgerald was caught in a savage storm with hurricane-force winds around 100-mile-an-hour and waves up to 60 feet, crashing down on the freighter every four to eight seconds, says Bacon.—
NPR,
NPR,
6 Nov. 2025
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Here, spiritual infractions are met with savage physical punishment and some of the more grotesque images in recent horror memory (which, as the genre has become ever more popular and emboldened, is seriously saying something).—
Dennis Perkins,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fierce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fierce. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.
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