fierce

[ feers ]

See synonyms for: fierce fiercest fiercely fierceness on Thesaurus.com

adjective,fierc·er, fierc·est.

menacingly wild, savage, or hostile: fierce animals;a fierce look.
violent in force, intensity, etc.: fierce winds.

furiously eager or intense: fierce competition.
extremely bad or severe: a fierce cold.

Origin of fierce

First recorded in 1300–1350; from Middle English fiers, fers, from Old French fiers, fers, from Latin ferus “wild, fierce”; cf. feral¹, ferocious

synonym study For fierce

1. 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 words for fierce

1	untamed, cruel, fell, brutal; barbarous, bloodthirsty, murderous
2, 3	furious, passionate, turbulent

See synonyms for fierce on Thesaurus.com

Opposites for fierce

1	tame, mild

See antonyms for fierce on Thesaurus.com

Other words from fierce

fierce·ly, adverb
fierce·ness, noun
o·ver·fierce, adjective
un·fierce, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use fierce in a sentence

Even its fiercest detractors admit that WWP has the right motives, even if they believe WWP can be a lot more effective.
Wounded Warrior Project Under Fire | Tim Mak | September 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Sharks are normally considered to be the fiercest fish in the water.
Shark-Eating Monsters, the Kid Emmys, and More Viral Videos | The Daily Beast Video | August 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The Peshmerga have long been considered the fiercest fighting force in the region.
Obama’s Iraq Plan Has a Killer Flaw—and Airstrikes Alone May Not Save It | Jacob Siegel | August 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
They left a week ago, after the Ukrainian Army began the latest and fiercest episode of its “Anti-Terrorist Operation.”
Ukraine Families Flee Into the Forest to Escape Brutal Fighting in Sloviansk | Yusuf Sayman | June 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The religious basis of the fiercest opposition to same-sex marriage is a truism.
Opposing Gay Marriage Doesn’t Make You a Crypto-Racist | Jonathan Rauch | April 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

He who has attained it grows giddy, and the fiercest winds are summoned to blow him from his eminence.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4 | Jane Porter
And I have been passing through one of the fiercest temptations that ever lured a man to the edge of the Pit.
The Weight of the Crown | Fred M. White
Party spirit ran high; and the contests were among the fiercest and the longest of which there is any record in our history.
The History of England from the Accession of James II. | Thomas Babington Macaulay
St. Augustine says: "The fiercest of all combats is the one for the preservation of chastity, and we must engage in it every day."
Mary, Help of Christians | Various
The warriors who boasted that they were the strongest and fiercest on the earth, had been made powerless by mice.
Stories the Iroquois Tell Their Children | Mabel Powers

British Dictionary definitions for fierce

fierce

/ (fɪəs) /

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

Origin of fierce

C13: from Old French fiers, from Latin ferus

Derived forms of fierce

fiercely, adverb
fierceness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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