ferocity
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
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."
Vocabulary lists containing ferocity
"Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto
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The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
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Divergent
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
It’s a simple but primal character motivation that Beetz sells with a wild-eyed ferocity.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
The sound and ferocity of the wind and rain scared him and his two-man crew half to death.
From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
