ferocity
Americannoun
-
ferocities
plural
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Divergent
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Despite playing with a compression sleeve on his right arm, Alcaraz unleashed his trademark forehand with familiar ferocity.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
The ferocity waxes and wanes in the works that follow.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
In fact, they responded with the sudden ferocity of a Zinédine Zidane head butt to the chest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
“Anybody who disagrees with his notion of how war is to be fought, which is with incredible and relatively unrestrained ferocity, they’re also suspect.”
From Salon ● May 1, 2026
The friendliness that had existed before was gone; men and women struggled to be in the forefront, fighting their way with ferocity, thrusting forward with strident urgency.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
Pieces by Ravel and Pablo de Sarasate shone as they should, and the evening’s unlikely centerpiece, Ginastera’s Violin Concerto, was a 30-minute fever dream of serialist fancies and ferocities.
From New York Times ● Apr. 28, 2024
Whitman relished these energies; these ferocities in our beings.
From Slate ● Jan. 9, 2015
No grim study of jungle ferocities and hardships.
From Time Magazine Archive
The altar boy who might charm the nuns could take on ferocities.
From Time Magazine Archive
After a year's wandering up and down strange and curious countries, he came to the chief city of a barbarous province ruled by a man famous for his ferocities and charming culture.
From Melomaniacs by James Huneker
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.
