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
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!
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
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!
Excerpt from "Flipped"
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:
The competition is fierce for the role of Justin Herbert’s backup.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Resistance at first was fierce, since the idea had never been tried and putting puffin chicks at risk seemed antithetical to the Audubon Society’s creed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Nearby fields were littered with broken deckchairs, scraps of fiberglass insulation and pieces of wire fencing ripped apart by the fierce winds that struck the village and its surroundings.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
But protests in Vietnam have rarely, if ever, reached such fierce extremes.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
Uncle Max wasn’t fierce, either, but like others, he saved vacation days, crossed state lines, and came home for National Picnic.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
It’s possible this year’s conditions could grow into a rarer and fiercer “super El Niño.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 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
Nike faces fiercer local competition and cooling consumer demand in China, experiencing sales declines for seven straight quarters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026
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 was as much beauty in the Crone as in the Maiden, and the Mother could be fiercer than the Warrior when her children were in danger.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
Indeed, months of drought and heat waves tend to foreshadow the fiercest wildfires.
From Salon ● Aug. 3, 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
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who was among those paying their respects, described her as a "remarkable individual" and "the fiercest defender of free speech"
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
The defending champions will now reignite one of the fiercest rivalries in world soccer when it faces England in the semifinals on Wednesday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
The head patroller in the county was the fiercest specimen Ridgeway had ever laid eyes on.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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.
