ferocious

[ fuh-roh-shuhs ]

/ fəˈroʊ ʃəs /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ferocious ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

savagely fierce, as a wild beast, person, action, or aspect; violently cruel: a ferocious beating.

extreme or intense: a ferocious thirst.

Nearby words

fernery, ferning, ferny, fernández de lizardi, fernández de lizardi, josé joaquín, ferocious, ferociously, ferocity, ferr-, ferrar, ferrara

Origin of ferocious

1640–50; < Latin ferōc-, stem of ferōx savage, fierce (fer(us) wild (see feral¹, fierce) + -ōx having such an appearance; akin to -opsis) + -ious

SYNONYMS FOR ferocious

1 rapacious. See fierce.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ferocious ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

fe·ro·cious·ly, adverbfe·ro·cious·ness, nounnon·fe·ro·cious, adjectivenon·fe·ro·cious·ly, adverb

non·fe·ro·cious·ness, nounun·fe·ro·cious, adjectiveun·fe·ro·cious·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ferociously

She appeared at his side, impish smile in place, dutiful, fragrantly rather than ferociously sexy, and—frustratingly—an adjunct.
How Can Katie Holmes Escape Tom Cruise—and ‘Dawson’s Creek’?|Tim Teeman|October 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We know that, mercifully, democratization scourged us only once in ferociously modern style: during the Civil War.
The Real Nightmare of Ferguson|James Poulos|August 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was always affable but ultimately unknowable; intellectually incurious but ferociously ambitious.
The Messy, Sordid Story of Jim Greer, Charlie Crist’s Man to a Fault|Rick Wilson|June 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“The U.K. journalism world, in particular print journalism, is ferociously competitive,” he says.
A Well-Spoken Invasion:The Brits Taking Over American Media|Lloyd Grove|May 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But keep an eye over the weekend on how ferociously the media wingnuts start whipping this vote.
The Odds of War in Syria? A Lot Higher Now|Michael Tomasky|August 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The residue were ferociously bidden to an "extra" after dinner.
The Lighter Side of School Life|Ian Hay
Dan was holding the skirts of a very young girl and shaking them ferociously in his mouth.
Betty Vivian|L. T. Meade
The little schooner pitched so ferociously that only occasionally could he bring this object into the range of the glass.
Blow The Man Down|Holman Day
Her voice had become soft, and she was chaffing him in a ferociously wheedling manner.
Nana, The Miller's Daughter, Captain Burle, Death of Olivier Becaille|Emile Zola
And he yawned so ferociously that he feared for the buildings.
What Will People Say?|Rupert Hughes

British Dictionary definitions for ferociously

ferocious

/ (fəˈrəʊʃəs) /

adjective

savagely fierce or cruela ferocious tiger; a ferocious argument

Derived Formsferociously, adverbferocity (fəˈrɒsɪtɪ) or ferociousness, noun

Word Origin for ferocious

C17: from Latin ferox fierce, untamable, warlike

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for ferociously

ferocious

adj.

1640s, from Latin ferocis, oblique case of ferox "fierce, wild-looking" (see ferocity). Related: Ferociously; ferociousness.

ferocious

adjective

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Origin of ferocious

Examples from the Web for ferociously

British Dictionary definitions for ferociously

ferocious

adjective

Word Origin for ferocious

Word Origin and History for ferociously

ferocious