fierce
Americanadjective
-
fiercer,
comparative
-
fiercest
superlative
-
menacingly wild, savage, or hostile.
fierce animals;
a fierce look.
-
violent in force, intensity, etc..
fierce winds.
- Synonyms:
- passionate, furious, turbulent
-
furiously eager or intense.
fierce competition.
- Synonyms:
- turbulent, passionate, furious
-
extremely bad or severe.
a fierce cold.
adjective
-
having a violent and unrestrained nature; savage
a fierce dog
-
wild or turbulent in force, action, or intensity
a fierce storm
-
vehement, intense, or strong
fierce competition
-
informal very disagreeable or unpleasant
Synonym Usage
Fierce, ferocious, truculent suggest vehemence and violence of temper, manner, or action: fierce in repelling a foe. Ferocious implies fierceness or cruelty, especially of a bloodthirsty kind, in disposition or action: a ferocious glare; ferocious brutality toward helpless refugees. Truculent suggests an intimidating or bullying fierceness of manner or conduct: His truculent attitude kept them terrified and submissive.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of fierce
First recorded in 1300–1350; from Middle English fiers, fers, from Old French fiers, fers, from Latin ferus “wild, fierce”; cf. feral 1, ferocious
Explanation
Fierce is ferocious and forceful, like a lion. When you are fierce, opponents fear you. Despite their loss, the talented JV team put up a fierce fight against the varsity squad. Fierce comes from the Latin ferus 'wild animal.' It means strong, proud, dangerous and ready to roar. Fierce can also be used to mean intense. The family was known for their fierce pride. If you have a fierce work ethic, you don't rest until you finish the job. And a fierce storm can really devastate a community.
Vocabulary lists containing fierce
Beowulf vocabulary
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Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
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Excerpt from "Flipped"
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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.
See Examples For:
Strong economic growth, spurred in part by the AI build-out, has helped to dampen demand for bonds at a time when competition for investor capital is particularly fierce.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
But the visit showed a surprising alignment of visions between the U.S. and Chinese presidents, embracing fierce competition that avoids miscalculation and conflict.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
The group reported roughly $11.5 billion of impairment charges linked to its stake in Porsche, fierce Chinese competition and its restructuring efforts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
The phrase "that dog in them" is common slang that usually denotes a fierce drive.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
I put my hands on the table, looked at those two people sitting across from me, and opened my mouth wide so the words could come out big and fierce.
From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan
It’s possible this year’s conditions could grow into a rarer and fiercer “super El Niño.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
The firm had been aiming to close the deal by September but agreed to table its takeover — perhaps until next spring — to allow a fiercer than expected challenge from California Atty.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
At the Chinese miner’s annual general meeting, Chairman Zou Laichang said that competition in the metals and mining industry is becoming fiercer amid rising geopolitical risks and resource nationalism, the Citi analyst says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
The Rams head logo has been “enhanced to appear bolder and tougher for a fiercer expression, and the horn features a sharper, more defined point,” the release said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026
There was Robert’s reproach making itself felt by a quicker, fiercer, more over-powering love, which had awakened within her toward him.
From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin
One of the fiercest battles between the KMT and Japan, little-known to Westerners or Chinese for the past 80 years, was the 47-day siege of Hengyang, in southern China.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Aaron Donald, one of the fiercest pass rushers in NFL history, is coming out of retirement to rejoin the Rams in hopes of winning another Super Bowl title.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
Indeed, months of drought and heat waves tend to foreshadow the fiercest wildfires.
From Salon ● Aug. 3, 2026
Australians who faced a "Black Summer" blaze that scorched millions of hectares say they may have lessons for European countries hit by some of the fiercest fires in living memory.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
Standing boldly on the backboard of the hay cart was the biggest, fiercest, most evil-looking rat that ever slunk out of a nightmare!
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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.
