fierce
Americanadjective
-
fiercer,
comparative
-
fiercest
superlative
-
menacingly wild, savage, or hostile.
fierce animals;
a fierce look.
-
violent in force, intensity, etc..
fierce winds.
- Synonyms:
- passionate, furious, turbulent
-
furiously eager or intense.
fierce competition.
- Synonyms:
- turbulent, passionate, furious
-
extremely bad or severe.
a fierce cold.
adjective
-
having a violent and unrestrained nature; savage
a fierce dog
-
wild or turbulent in force, action, or intensity
a fierce storm
-
vehement, intense, or strong
fierce competition
-
informal very disagreeable or unpleasant
Synonym Usage
Fierce, ferocious, truculent suggest vehemence and violence of temper, manner, or action: fierce in repelling a foe. Ferocious implies fierceness or cruelty, especially of a bloodthirsty kind, in disposition or action: a ferocious glare; ferocious brutality toward helpless refugees. Truculent suggests an intimidating or bullying fierceness of manner or conduct: His truculent attitude kept them terrified and submissive.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of fierce
First recorded in 1300–1350; from Middle English fiers, fers, from Old French fiers, fers, from Latin ferus “wild, fierce”; cf. feral 1, ferocious
Explanation
Fierce is ferocious and forceful, like a lion. When you are fierce, opponents fear you. Despite their loss, the talented JV team put up a fierce fight against the varsity squad. Fierce comes from the Latin ferus 'wild animal.' It means strong, proud, dangerous and ready to roar. Fierce can also be used to mean intense. The family was known for their fierce pride. If you have a fierce work ethic, you don't rest until you finish the job. And a fierce storm can really devastate a community.
Vocabulary lists containing fierce
Beowulf vocabulary
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Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
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Excerpt from "Flipped"
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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.
See Examples For:
The characters share a fierce drive to fight for what they believe is right, which, for Carol, means maintaining her autonomy and resisting the good-vibes group contentment of the Others.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Theatre director, playwright and actor Peter Gill, who has died aged 86, has been described as a "gentle man with a fierce intelligence" who had a "quietly seismic" influence on British theatre.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
He had hoped to become a political or policy analyst after graduation, but fierce competition in the entry-level job market has forced him to broaden his search to areas like human resources.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
The shift in tone marks a turning point following nearly two years of fierce confrontation over UniCredit's attempt to take control of the German bank.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
But they were so fierce and erratic in their attacks, we never stood a chance.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
It’s possible this year’s conditions could grow into a rarer and fiercer “super El Niño.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
The Russian winter becomes a major plot point in Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace,” in which Napoleon attacks and fails to conquer a country bigger, colder and fiercer than anticipated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025
Spain has in recent years endured longer and more intense summer heatwaves, while fiercer autumn storms have drenched the country with torrential rain -- extreme weather events that scientists attribute to human-driven climate change.
From Barron's ● Nov. 26, 2025
There have been warnings of fiercer competition for places at sixth form colleges this year.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2025
“Well, it is,” said Pa. “Just imagine Black Susan bigger than Jack, and fiercer than Jack when he growls. Then she would be just like a panther.”
From "Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Bill Ackman, the hedge fund billionaire who has long been one of Mamdani’s fiercest critics, spent $260 million this summer for new buildings to house a brain research center on Manhattan’s west side.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Indeed, months of drought and heat waves tend to foreshadow the fiercest wildfires.
From Salon ● Aug. 3, 2026
Uefa - Infantino's fiercest critic - dealt its trump card on Thursday by threatening to boycott all Fifa competitions, including the World Cup.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
In a statement, McMaster said Graham was “irreplaceable,” calling him “the fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
Hosteen was a bull, slow to anger but implacable once roused, and by repute the fiercest fighter of Lord Walder’s get.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
