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:
While it was an off-the-cuff comment, in so many ways, the moment captured a sentiment in Silicon Valley these days when it comes to the fierce and confusing debate between AI accelerationists and doomers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
While tech and defence fashion seems to draw both ardent fans and fierce critics, not everyone takes it so seriously.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
Despite fierce resistance from Berlin and the German lender, UniCredit has built up a stake of nearly 50 percent in Commerzbank and is close to sealing one of Europe's biggest banking mergers in recent years.
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
The company is battling fierce competition in the anti-obesity sector, where its hugely successful Ozempic and Wegovy treatments have spurred rivals to catch up.
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
But no matter what, Cat loved him as wide as the Golden Gate Bridge, as deep as the sea floor, and as fierce as a shark bite.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
Competition in China “is fiercer than in any other part of the world,” said Bjorn, the former CEO.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
It’s possible this year’s conditions could grow into a rarer and fiercer “super El Niño.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
The firm had been aiming to close the deal by September but agreed to table its takeover — perhaps until next spring — to allow a fiercer than expected challenge from California Atty.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
At the Chinese miner’s annual general meeting, Chairman Zou Laichang said that competition in the metals and mining industry is becoming fiercer amid rising geopolitical risks and resource nationalism, the Citi analyst says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
And although it hardly seemed possible, the insects were fiercer here, too.
From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac
Aaron Donald, one of the fiercest pass rushers in NFL history, is coming out of retirement to rejoin the Rams in hopes of winning another Super Bowl title.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
Of course, the prospect of selling Alvarez to their fiercest rivals was viewed as a non-starter by Atletico.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
Oil prices are well off highs hit during the fiercest fighting last spring thanks to subdued demand from China, Japan, India and Europe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Australians who faced a "Black Summer" blaze that scorched millions of hectares say they may have lessons for European countries hit by some of the fiercest fires in living memory.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
The image he could avoid when he stood at the plate, a team bat in hand, only by aiming his fiercest concentration on the pitcher’s moves.
From "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker
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.
