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ferocious

[ fuh-roh-shuhs ]
/ fəˈroʊ ʃəs /
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See synonyms for: ferocious / ferociously / ferociousness 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.
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Origin of ferocious

First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin ferōc-, stem of ferōx “savage, fierce” (fer(us) “wild” (see feral1, fierce) + -ōx “having such an appearance”; akin to eye, oculus, -opsis) + -ious

synonym study for ferocious

1. See fierce.

OTHER WORDS FROM ferocious

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ferocious in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ferocious

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
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