ferocious

adjective

fe·​ro·​cious fə-ˈrō-shəs 

1

: exhibiting or given to extreme fierceness and unrestrained violence and brutality

a ferocious predator

the ferocious butchery of women and children

2

: extremely intense

ferocious heat

The competition among the students was ferocious.

ferociously adverb

ferociousness noun

Synonyms

• intense
• fierce
• intensive
• terrible
• furious
• deep

Choose the Right Synonym for ferocious

fierce, ferocious, barbarous, savage, cruel mean showing fury or malignity in looks or actions.

fierce applies to humans and animals that inspire terror because of their wild and menacing aspect or fury in attack.

fierce warriors

ferocious implies extreme fierceness and unrestrained violence and brutality.

a ferocious dog

barbarous implies a ferocity or mercilessness regarded as unworthy of civilized people.

barbarous treatment of prisoners

savage implies the absence of inhibitions restraining civilized people filled with rage, lust, or other violent passion.

a savage criminal

cruel implies indifference to suffering and even positive pleasure in inflicting it.

the cruel jokes of schoolboys

Examples of ferocious in a Sentence

A ferocious wind swept the beach.

The competition among the students was ferocious.

Recent Examples on the Web

On the wall behind her, Gauguin has painted glyphs like those discovered on Easter Island, and a masked female figure, ferocious and bare-breasted. —Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 11 July 2025

Last time around, the titular Addams Family member, portrayed by Jenna Ortega, saved Nevermore by solving the mystery of the Hyde’s identity and putting a stop to the ferocious creature. —Bailey Richards, People.com, 9 July 2025

The Texas shop has managed to take Dodge’s ferocious Challenger SRT Demon 170 to new heights. —Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 30 June 2025

Second-apron teams cannot aggregate salaries in trades, send out cash in trades or utilize mid-level exceptions, among other restrictions, and are subject to ferocious tax penalties that make signing players to anything more than minimum contracts exceedingly difficult. —Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 26 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin feroc-, ferox, literally, fierce looking, from ferus + -oc-, -ox (akin to Greek ōps eye) — more at eye

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ferocious

• atrocious
• precocious

Kids Definition

ferocious

adjective

fe·​ro·​cious fə-ˈrō-shəs 

1

: fierce sense 1, savage

2

: very great : extreme

ferocious heat

ferociously adverb

ferociousness noun

ferocity

fə-ˈräs-ət-ē

noun