fiercely

[feers-lee]

adverb

1. in a menacing, violent, or forceful way.

   The bear stood on his back paws, growling fiercely.

   Currently, some 20 wildfires are raging fiercely through the state.

2. in an eager or intense way.

   Isaiah has developed into a fiercely competitive soccer player.

Other Word Forms

• overfiercely adverb
• unfiercely adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of fiercely¹

fierce ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Now she reads all his scripts and visits often, still fiercely protective of him.

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The Norwegian committee is appointed by the country's parliament, and although the members – usually retired MPs – fiercely guard their independence, many have strident views.

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Club over country and the fiercely competitive Premier League rivalries between Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal often come up as a problem.

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In March, Senate leader Chuck Schumer was fiercely criticised for helping pass a Republican spending bill to avert a shutdown.

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Parties across the board in the National Assembly had fiercely criticised the composition of Lecornu's cabinet, which was largely unchanged from Bayrou's, and threatened to vote it down.

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Related Words

• angrily 
• boldly 
• brutally www.thesaurus.com
• ferociously www.thesaurus.com
• forcefully www.thesaurus.com
• frantically 
• furiously 
• madly 
• mightily 
• passionately 
• savagely www.thesaurus.com
• severely 
• vehemently 
• viciously www.thesaurus.com
• wildly www.thesaurus.com