ferocity

[ fuh-ros-i-tee ]

/ fəˈrɒs ɪ ti /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ferocity ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a ferocious quality or state; savage fierceness.

Nearby words

Origin of ferocity

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

Related formsnon·fe·roc·i·ty, noun

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

Examples from the Web for ferocity

Phone lines would catch fire from the velocity and ferocity of his words.
David Garth, the Consultant Who Talked Up to Voters|Jeff Greenfield|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was just seamlessly being this person—the ferocity and intensity was incredible.
The Brit Who Stormed Broadway|Tim Teeman|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They are clashing with Israeli police with a ferocity not seen since the second Intifada.
The Seeds of the Next Intifada|Jesse Rosenfeld|July 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I ask if the ferocity of his violent outburst surprised him and he says yes, it did.
Exclusive: ‘X-Men’ Sex Abuse Lawyer Says He Was Assaulted, Too|Tim Teeman|May 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The group only grew in ferocity with the release of the first film adaptation in 2008.
Will ‘Hunger Games’ Fans and ‘Twilight’ Fans Ever Get Along?|Kevin Fallon|November 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The light of ferocity had entirely gone from his eyes; momentarily the whole expression of the face was one of satisfied greed.
El Dorado|Baroness Orczy
All the ferocity of his nature blazed forth, and he told Helen that he intended to kill me at sight, and would also kill her.
Mystery Ranch|Arthur Chapman
His eyes glowered upon her with a ferocity that was hardly dissembled.
The Snare|Rafael Sabatini
The sailors, even the sealing sailors, kept well clear of the Yahgans so long as this ferocity lasted.
The Gold Diggings of Cape Horn|John R. Spears
The stare of extreme surprise imparted an air of ferocity also to his eyes, and he looked truly terrific for a moment.
The Secret Sharer|Joseph Conrad

Word Origin and History for ferocity

ferocity

c.1600, from French férocité, from Latin ferocitatem (nominative ferocitas) "fierceness," from ferocis, oblique case of ferox "wild, bold, courageous, warlike, fierce," literally "wild-looking," a derivative of ferus "wild" (see fierce) + -ox, -ocem (genitive -ocis), a suffix meaning "looking or appearing" (cognate with Greek ops "eye, sight").

ferocity

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of ferocity

Examples from the Web for ferocity

ferocity