ferocity
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ferocity
1600–10; < Latin ferōcitās, equivalent to ferōc-, stem of ferōx ferocious + -itās -ity
Explanation
Ferocity is the state of being ferocious — wild, scary, and fierce. A five year-old girl pretending to be a lion will display her ferocity by roaring and baring her teeth. Things known for their ferocity include wild animals, terrifying thunder storms, and fierce battlefield fights. A furious argument can have an element of ferocity, and so can a wild, loud piece of music. The Latin word ferus, which means "wild," is the root of not only ferocity, but ferocious and fierce. Ferocity came directly from the Latin ferocitatem, "fierceness, or wildness."
Vocabulary lists containing ferocity
"Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto
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The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
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Divergent
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In FX’s Peabody-winning “Pose,” she appeared as a member of the House of Ferocity.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2025
Another is Angelica Ross, who plays Candy Ferocity in "Pose" and went on to co-star in two seasons of "American Horror Story."
From Salon • Oct. 8, 2023
Ferocity was once considered a hallmark of Cornas.
From New York Times • Oct. 8, 2020
“Some of you may know me from my role as Candy Ferocity on the FX series ‘Pose’ ...
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2020
Ferocity Subsided in a moment, like a wind That drops down dead out of a sky it vexed.
From The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 1 by Knight, William
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
