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.
Startups locked in ferocious competition with rivals can gain recognition quickly as the biggest company within a certain arena.
But lately, what was once a ferocious battle for global supremacy hadn’t been much of a rivalry at all.
This time, the soloist was the stellar emerging pianist Yunchan Lim, who keeps to himself, either lost in dreamy reverie or, like a jumpy teenager, in ferocious attack mode.
From Los Angeles Times
"She is not only a ferocious athlete but also a beautiful human being and a genuine person," he added.
From BBC
It came when two brothers dropped their gloves within the first three seconds of a game and started throwing ferocious haymakers at a couple of unsuspecting Canadians.
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.
