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 roughly $114-million crossing is set to open Dec. 2, barring any delays from fierce winter storms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
“The competition for capital has been so fierce that everyone is paying up to borrow,” Matt Brill, head of North America investment-grade credit at Invesco, said on Tuesday.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026
It said that against a backdrop of fierce competition, Renault brand sales declined by 2.9%, despite 4.6% growth in Europe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
Anthropic's costs could rise as it faces fierce competition for top staff and computing power from other AI giants.
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026
“Your Mamá is Mariposa too, tenacious and fierce, but generous with her love,” the Virgen assured me.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
Its electrophysiology business, which focuses on treating heart-rhythm disorders, is also struggling to keep up with fiercer competition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 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
The Rams head logo has been “enhanced to appear bolder and tougher for a fiercer expression, and the horn features a sharper, more defined point,” the release said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026
He didn’t hear their approach from behind him, but in a moment he was swept up with them: Tizerkane from the barracks, fiercer than he’d ever seen them.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
Seen one way, Roy’s talismanic manicure is an object lesson for her fiercest critics: all flash and no substance, evidence the 34-year-old lacks the “gravitas” to be among the state’s most powerful elected lawyers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
The difference with Schlittler and Rice is that the Yankees snatched them up from directly under the nose of their fiercest rival.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
The fiercest recent fighting has been on the western approaches, where the two sides are contesting high ground overlooking the city's route south.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
Indeed, months of drought and heat waves tend to foreshadow the fiercest wildfires.
From Salon ● Aug. 3, 2026
His father had talked of him often: the peerless Robert Baratheon, demon of the Trident, the fiercest warrior of the realm, a giant among princes.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
