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
As previously announced, Andrew Garfield stars as the legendary leader of a ferocious rebellion against the tyranny of King Richard II.
—
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2025
The final decision from Glenn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, though, may deserve even more derision given how his team’s game against the Broncos and their ferocious, inevitable pass rush had unfolded.
—Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
The fight, an utter farce, lasted 91 seconds, but Trump formed a lasting relationship with the ferocious Tyson.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 11 Oct. 2025
The two have a ferocious battle, with Mark’s girlfriend Atom Eve (Gillian Jacobs) getting caught in the crossfire.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ferocious
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2025
The final decision from Glenn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, though, may deserve even more derision given how his team’s game against the Broncos and their ferocious, inevitable pass rush had unfolded.
—Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
The fight, an utter farce, lasted 91 seconds, but Trump formed a lasting relationship with the ferocious Tyson.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 11 Oct. 2025
The two have a ferocious battle, with Mark’s girlfriend Atom Eve (Gillian Jacobs) getting caught in the crossfire.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ferocious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ferocious
Adjective
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The intense taste and smell can make this tonic hard to stomach.—
Kathleen Ferraro,
Verywell Health,
24 Oct. 2025
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Part of what spurred intense interest, according to sources, was the success of Weapons, Zach Cregger’s summer horror hit.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Children’s Health Defense, the organization Kennedy built into one of the fiercest foes of childhood vaccines, took interest in the Idaho bill early on.—
Audrey Dutton,
ProPublica,
20 Oct. 2025
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Two-time All Pro linebacker James Harrison led a fierce Pittsburgh Steelers defense for years, winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2008.—
Matt Audilet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Rader’s double life as a doting father and savage murderer is the subject of the new Netflix documentary My Father, the BTK Killer, based on his daughter Kerri Rawson’s search to make sense of the secret double life her father hid from his family.—
Johnny Dodd,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
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The ensuing carnage was swift and savage.—
Paul Solotaroff,
Rolling Stone,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The two superstars continued to trade moves with one another in a frantic finish.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
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So the frantic pace of decision-making today risks locking in emissions tomorrow; some of Melka’s data center clients are happy to run on gas or even diesel generators and save their sustainability goals for some other time.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Higgins pointed out that land-intensive projects, like the Miami Freedom Park soccer stadium project, could have included housing on the premises.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
18 Oct. 2025
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Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire following intensive peace negotiations in Doha, Qatar, according to Reuters reporting on an announcement made by Qatar's foreign ministry early Sunday.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Once again, the debate in the book is not over whether or not people should be violent.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
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As a result, many legends are connected to its violent past, and its dungeon, in particular, is said to be haunted by tortured souls.—
Sophie Friedman,
AFAR Media,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Those stiffed in this initial round are rendered unable to meet their own bills and a vicious cycle ensues.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
19 Oct. 2025
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In Black Phone 2, McGraw has been upgraded to the de facto lead actor, and Gwen’s foul-mouthed takedowns are even more vicious.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Foster shared the example of a 29-year-old who only recently cut the cord on parental tracking, and their mother was furious.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
18 Oct. 2025
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At the time, fans around the league were furious because the Oilers had already had the first overall pick three times in the previous five years.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ferocious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ferocious. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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