ferocity
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
- nonferocity noun
Etymology
Origin of ferocity
1600–10; < Latin ferōcitās, equivalent to ferōc-, stem of ferōx ferocious + -itās -ity
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.
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
People in offices and pubs find themselves discussing Rebecca Morrison's outrageous draw, or the ferocity with which Hammy McMillan brushes the ice.
From BBC • Feb. 21, 2026
Residents across the south of France were shocked at the storm's ferocity.
From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026
This isn’t the first time that Olympic medals might not have been built for the ferocity of post-Games celebration.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026
“If you question with enough ferocity, people are sometimes surprised into answering questions that they do not intend to answer. When in doubt, question. Question more. Question faster.”
From "Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures" by Kate DiCamillo
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.
