ferocious

ferocious

adjective

Definition of FEROCIOUS

1

extreme in degree, power, or effect <the ferocious appetite that athletic teenagers have been known to display>

Synonyms acute, almighty, blistering, deep, dreadful, excruciating, explosive, exquisite, fearful, fearsome, ferocious, fierce, frightful, furious, ghastly, hard, heavy, heavy-duty, hellacious, intensive, keen, profound, terrible, vehement, vicious, violent

Related Words accentuated, aggravated, concentrated, deepened; emphasized, enhanced, heightened, intensified, magnified; stressed; exhaustive, thorough; harsh, rigorous, severe

Near Antonyms feeble, weak; shallow, superficial; moderated, qualified; alleviated, eased, lightened, toned (down); abated, decreased, diminished, lessened, reduced, subdued

Antonyms light, moderate, soft

2

marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity <ferocious forest fires threatened to destroy hundreds of homes in the scrubland>

Synonyms bang-bang, blood-and-guts, convulsive, cyclonic, explosive, ferocious, fierce, furious, hammer-and-tongs, hot, knock-down, drag-out (or knock-down-and-drag-out), paroxysmal, rabid, rough, stormy, tempestuous, tumultuous, turbulent, volcanic

Related Words barbarous, brutal, savage, vicious; antagonistic, hostile; aggressive, assertive, bellicose, belligerent, combative, contentious, gladiatorial, pugnacious, quarrelsome, truculent; combustible, volatile; agitated, frantic, frenzied, mad; cataclysmal (or cataclysmic), destructive, ruinous

Near Antonyms calm, halcyon, pacific, serene, tranquil; nonbelligerent, unaggressive

Antonyms nonviolent, peaceable, peaceful

3

violently unfriendly or aggressive in disposition <Captain Bligh and his castaways bypassed numerous Pacific islands, so afraid were they of the ferocious tribesmen>

Synonyms fell, ferocious, grim, savage, vicious

Related Words argumentative, assaultive, bellicose, belligerent, brawly, chippy, combative, confrontational, discordant, disputatious, feisty, gladiatorial, militant, pugnacious, scrappy, warlike; bare-knuckle (also bare-knuckled or bare-knuckles), blood-and-guts, in-your-face, take-no-prisoners; contentious, quarrelsome, truculent; menacing, threatening; bestial, brute, inhuman, inhumane; barbaric, uncivilized, wild; heartless, implacable, merciless, pitiless, relentless, ruthless, unrelenting, wanton; bloodthirsty, bloody, homicidal, murdering, murderous, sanguinary, sanguine; rapacious, ravenous, voracious

Near Antonyms amicable, companionable, comradely, congenial, cordial, friendly, genial, hearty, warm, warmhearted; compliant, submissive, tame; benign, compassionate, kind, merciful; pacific, peaceable, peaceful; amiable, complaisant, obliging; human, humane; civilized, cultured

Antonyms gentle, mild, unaggressive

4

marked by great and often stressful excitement or activity <after a day of ferocious trading, the stock market was down 300 points>

Synonyms delirious, ferocious, feverish, fierce, frantic, frenetic, frenzied, mad, rabid, violent, wild

Related Words concentrated, high-pressured, intense, intensive, vehement; excessive, exorbitant, extravagant, extreme, immoderate, inordinate, lavish, overmuch, overweening, unconscionable, undue; crazed, crazy, demented, deranged, insane, irrational, lunatic, mad, maniacal (also maniac)

Near Antonyms calm, peaceful, placid, quiet, serene, subdued, tranquil, undisturbed, unperturbed, untroubled; moderate, reasonable, temperate; casual, easygoing, low-pressure; balanced, sane, sound

Antonyms relaxed