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 idea, which was met with fierce opposition from banks, hasn’t materialized.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026
We were in a fierce seller’s market and this was typical: Friends of ours in Boston had been making wild highball offers for years, and had always been outbid.
From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026
“In a world of endless choice and fierce competition for attention, we don’t just want to succeed,” the memo states.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026
It just so happens that team is fierce rivals Tottenham.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 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
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
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
But now, the lines are drawn for two of the fiercest battles of the football season.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
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
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
They had inhuman strength, hardly wavering under the fiercest attacks.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
