Synonyms

fiercely

American

[feers-lee] / ˈfɪərs li /

adverb

in a menacing, violent, or forceful way.

The bear stood on his back paws, growling fiercely.
Currently, some 20 wildfires are raging fiercely through the state.
in an eager or intense way.

Isaiah has developed into a fiercely competitive soccer player.

Other Word Forms

overfiercely adverb
unfiercely adverb

Etymology

Origin of fiercely

fierce ( def. ) + -ly

Vocabulary lists containing fiercely

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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.

Alex's character was quite a contrast on and off the pitch - on it, he was fiercely competitive.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

Yet the same people clung fiercely to their self-image as gutsy investors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

But Elham, a contentious and fiercely competitive student, suspects that Marjan’s zeal for anglophone culture, including Hollywood romantic comedies, masks a resentment for the Iranian life she is now stuck with.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

The Neo was met with widespread enthusiasm and is expected to compete fiercely with Windows laptops and Chromebooks.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

The tallest and biggest of the boys nodded fiercely.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023