ferocity

American  

[fuh-ros-i-tee] / fəˈrɒs ɪ ti /

noun

1. a ferocious quality or state; savage fierceness.

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Other Word Forms

• nonferocity noun

Etymology

Origin of ferocity

1600–10; < Latin ferōcitās, equivalent to ferōc-, stem of ferōx ferocious + -itās -ity

Explanation

Ferocity is the state of being ferocious — wild, scary, and fierce. A five year-old girl pretending to be a lion will display her ferocity by roaring and baring her teeth. Things known for their ferocity include wild animals, terrifying thunder storms, and fierce battlefield fights. A furious argument can have an element of ferocity, and so can a wild, loud piece of music. The Latin word ferus, which means "wild," is the root of not only ferocity, but ferocious and fierce. Ferocity came directly from the Latin ferocitatem, "fierceness, or wildness."

Example Sentences

As Linda, she exudes a tightly coiled ferocity in sharp contrast to the fog of despair in which Willy seems to move.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

They haven’t piled into single stocks with the same ferocity, and instead they’ve put money into the market through index-tracking ETFs.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

Ursula has shades of Gellar’s famous characters — Buffy’s physical ferocity, Kathryn Merteuil’s ruthless cattiness, Daphne Blake’s affinity for mysterious games — but doesn’t play to one exclusively.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026

But when hill walker Simon Lucas shared a photograph of the tradition on social media, he was unprepared for the ferocity of the response.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

He’d felt the ferocity of that storm, heard the desperate radio calls for help, seen Beck Weathers crippled with horrible frostbite.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer