Dictionary.com
definitions

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.

RELATED CONTENT

10 Animals With Hilariously Inaccurate NamesRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE
Why We Need The Serial Comma: 10 Hilarious Real-World ExamplesTake a look at these hilarious examples of real-world sentences that are sorely missing a serial comma
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

depth, violence, savagery, brutality, fury, pitch, fierceness, intensity, vehemence, fervor, fervency, barbarity, ferment, extreme, severity, wildness

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

Examples from the Web for ferociousness

British Dictionary definitions for ferociousness

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 ferociousness

ferocious

adj.

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

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper