1
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
the ferocious appetite that athletic teenagers have been known to display
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2
as in fierce
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
ferocious forest fires threatened to destroy hundreds of homes in the scrubland
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3
as in savage
violently unfriendly or aggressive in disposition
the animal is known as a ferocious predator
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4
as in frantic
marked by great and often stressful excitement or activity
after a day of ferocious up-and-down trading, the stock market ended up down 300 points
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ferocious
The area south of Conifer had been treated five or six years ago, making the fire less ferocious and firefighters’ jobs that much easier.
—
John Aguilar, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025
The summer 2025 concert season wasn’t necessarily worse than other recent years, but more ferocious and erratic weather patterns continued to wreak havoc on the live music world.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 6 Sep. 2025
Rare pterosaur babies found In a new study in Current Biology, University of Leicester paleontologists cracked open a new window onto the ferocious past.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2025
In the pic, Garfield plays a legendary leader of a ferocious rebellion against the tyranny of King Richard II.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ferocious
John Aguilar, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025
The summer 2025 concert season wasn’t necessarily worse than other recent years, but more ferocious and erratic weather patterns continued to wreak havoc on the live music world.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 6 Sep. 2025
Rare pterosaur babies found In a new study in Current Biology, University of Leicester paleontologists cracked open a new window onto the ferocious past.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2025
In the pic, Garfield plays a legendary leader of a ferocious rebellion against the tyranny of King Richard II.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ferocious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ferocious
Adjective
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This blaze is intense enough that firefighters used water lines to moisten the soil around trees and wrapped their trunks with fire-resistant foil blankets.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
20 Sep. 2025
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From time to time, there’s still an intense demand for anything connected to the Fab Four, and countless films, books, and albums have been issued in the decades since the musicians split.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The global war for tech talent, especially AI talent, is already fierce, with some of the biggest companies offering all-star athlete-level salaries for the most desirable candidates, leaving startups struggling to recruit and hold onto talented staff.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
22 Sep. 2025
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In mythology, Mars is the god of war, known for its fierce and combative nature, and this is no exception in astrology.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in Israel on October 7, 2023, and took more than 250 hostages in a savage attack.—
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN Money,
25 Sep. 2025
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Hamas are a bunch of savage animals.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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From that moment onwards the game became a frantic back and forth.—
Manuel Veth,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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On Friday, law enforcement officials arrested the man accused of shooting and killing Kirk, in Utah after a frantic 33-hour manhunt.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Poore pivoted to other ventures to make ends meet after the storm struck, including trail clearing, trail education and intensive workshops on trail maintenance.—
Graham Hurley,
CNN Money,
21 Sep. 2025
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Dumplings can be time (and labor) intensive to prepare.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Brown is particularly known for his roles in violent abolitionist efforts in the Pottawatamie Massacre and the raid on Harpers Ferry, a federal arsenal in West Virginia.—
Christopher Tremoglie,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Sep. 2025
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The 2024 election campaign was Mexico’s most violent in modern history, with more than three dozen candidates assassinated and many others dropping out over threats to their safety.—
Daniel DePetris,
Time,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Over eight episodes, the brothers find themselves at the mercy of Mancuso — a former family friend — and his vicious henchmen, and they are forced to confront the emotional scars of growing up with an alcoholic father, who had gambled away his own restaurant.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Sep. 2025
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That vicious cycle spins in states such as California, Illinois, and Texas.—
Jeffrey Selingo,
New Yorker,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Substack’s leaderboard filled with anti-Trump voices furious over the silencing of the mainstream media.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
22 Sep. 2025
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Hong Kong — The sight of a multi-colored fireworks exploding in the foothills of the Himalayas has sparked a furious environmental backlash, prompting a local government investigation in China and forcing global outdoor apparel brand Arc’teryx to issue an apology.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ferocious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ferocious. Accessed 26 Sep. 2025.
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