ferocious

[ fuh-roh-shuhs ]

/ fəˈroʊ ʃəs /

SEE 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.

QUIZZES

Discover The Influence Of Portuguese On English Via This Quiz!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?

Question 1 of 11

Which of the following bird names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?

owl

crow

piranha

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby ferocious

ferndale, fernery, ferning, ferny, fernández de lizardi, ferocious, ferocity, ferr-, ferrar, ferrara, ferrari

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 SYNONYMS FOR ferocious ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM ferocious

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. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for ferociousness

There was a fascination in his manner that made the ferociousness of his antagonist subside into impotence.
Caleb Williams|William Godwin
You are radically polite; this impetuosity and ferociousness is simply the sincerity which is the basis of a proper deportment.
The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales|Bret Harte
There was ferociousness in the heart of the Indian, but Grace's voice had stayed his hand.
Grace Harlowe's Overland Riders in the Great North Woods|Jessie Graham Flower
The brutality of the police, equalled in ferociousness the massacre of the Yeomanry Cavalry.
The Battle of The Press|Theophila Carlile Campbell

His personal misfortunes will prove the anarchy of the government and the ferociousness of the times.
The History of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire|Edward Gibbon

British Dictionary definitions for ferociousness

ferocious

/ (fəˈrəʊʃəs) /

adjective

savagely fierce or cruela ferocious tiger; a ferocious argument

Derived forms of ferocious

ferociously, 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

ferocious

adjective

QUIZZES

Words related to ferocious

Words nearby ferocious

Origin of ferocious

SYNONYMS FOR ferocious

OTHER WORDS FROM ferocious

Example sentences from the Web for ferociousness

British Dictionary definitions for ferociousness

adjective

Derived forms of ferocious

Word Origin for ferocious