ferocious
Americanadjective
-
savagely fierce, as a wild beast, person, action, or aspect; violently cruel.
a ferocious beating.
- Synonyms:
- rapacious
-
extreme or intense.
a ferocious thirst.
adjective
Related Words
See fierce.
Other Word Forms
- ferociously adverb
- ferociousness noun
- ferocity noun
- nonferocious adjective
- nonferociously adverb
- nonferociousness noun
- unferocious adjective
- unferociously adverb
Etymology
Origin of ferocious
First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin ferōc-, stem of ferōx “savage, fierce” ( fer(us) “wild” ( feral 1, fierce ) + -ōx “having such an appearance”; akin to eye ( def. ), oculus ( def. ), -opsis ) + -ious
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.
The first draft of the after-action report said that the department’s decision not to fully staff up and pre-deploy available firefighters ahead of the ferocious winds “did not align” with policy.
From Los Angeles Times
The game, unsurprisingly, did not continue at quite the same ferocious pace in the second half, but that did not prevent Saints from adding to their lead.
From BBC
Scot Anderson went 3-1 up in a game played at a ferocious pace, and was impressive in averaging 121 in set three.
From BBC
He described it as a "particularly cold day" in the town and said the sea "looked ferocious".
From BBC
George Foreman’s hulking frame and ferocious power are what made him an Olympic gold medalist and a two-time heavyweight champion of the world.
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.
