fierceness

American  

[feers-nis] / ˈfɪərs nɪs /

noun

1. a menacingly wild, savage, or hostile quality or character.

   In spite of the fierceness of the enemy barrage, the line was made secure.

   After many threats, he rushed at me with the fierceness of a wolf.

2. violent force, intensity, etc..

   Already the sudden storm is passing, and its fierceness is abating.

3. furious eagerness or intensity of emotion, etc..

   As I read her novel my heart was moved by the fierceness of her love for humanity.

4. the quality of being extremely bad or severe.

   Only by the fifth day, when the fierceness of the headache started to decrease, was she able to move normally again.

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Other Word Forms

• overfierceness noun

Etymology

Origin of fierceness

First recorded in 1350–1400; fierce ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Example Sentences

Chemaf’s founder, Shiraz Virji, son of a Zanzibar spice merchant, once hired dozens of Gurkhas, Nepalese soldiers with a reputation for fierceness, to guard one of the company’s mines against incursions by informal miners.

From The Wall Street Journal

We usually watched together in our lack of fierceness.

From Literature

While the actors, particularly Reinhart and Pedretti, are locked in with the tone and Reinhart delivers the fierceness required of such a role, the pace of “Forbidden Fruits” is at odds with the performers.

From Los Angeles Times

The extraordinary Gallo, who also wrote the screenplay, brings a blend of fierceness and fragility to a role that explores expectations of masculinity in Latino families.

From Los Angeles Times

“The fierceness and price and cost demands of China’s markets make the winners emerging from here far more globally fit than most any other country’s environment will produce.”

From Barron's

Related Words

• wildness