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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Footage shown last October at New York City Comic-Con picked up where the finale left off, giving us the kind of harrowing high-stakes pitched space battle against a ferocious enemy that has long been a hallmark of the franchise.
—
Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 8 June 2025
The Manchester City striker is one of the global game’s most ferocious and intelligent goalscorers.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 28 June 2025
Now, she’s added another competitive event to her list of favorites: F1, or Formula 1, largely considered the world's most ferocious and high-tech form of auto racing.
—Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 26 June 2025
Mount Washington has long been known for its ferocious and unpredictable weather, and particularly high winds.
—Owen Clarke, Outside Online, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ferocious
Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 8 June 2025
The Manchester City striker is one of the global game’s most ferocious and intelligent goalscorers.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 28 June 2025
Now, she’s added another competitive event to her list of favorites: F1, or Formula 1, largely considered the world's most ferocious and high-tech form of auto racing.
—Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 26 June 2025
Mount Washington has long been known for its ferocious and unpredictable weather, and particularly high winds.
—Owen Clarke, Outside Online, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ferocious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ferocious
Adjective
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Early Friday morning, intense rain caused flash flooding across Texas Hill Country.—
Rebecca Angel Baer,
Southern Living,
6 July 2025
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There were several safety cars during the race, along with changing conditions with periods of intense rain followed by a drying track.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 July 2025
Adjective
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With so many players in the game, the competition is simultaneously fierce and toothless.—
Todd Fisher,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
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Winds, too, were fierce, gusting up to 70 mph at the lakefront, according to the National Weather Service.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.—
Tom Yulsman,
Discover Magazine,
27 Dec. 2022
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The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2022
Adjective
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For Bertram, whose family winery has roots deep in the terraced vineyards of the valley, the night was a blur of frantic decisions and terrifying uncertainty.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
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Huntington Park High School Principal Carlos Garibaldi was preparing to host a graduation on his campus when frantic colleagues radioed him: Immigration is coming.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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An intensive moisturiser that delivers maximum hydration, Revision’s DermProtect Barrier Defense™ also replenishes natural lipids, and enhances moisture retention.—
Angela Lei,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
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The military would prefer to focus on managing ever-growing threats from satellites, an intensive effort that requires continual monitoring as other nations' increasingly sophisticated spacecraft maneuver from one orbit to another.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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As droves of tourists continue to flock to Spain for European summer vacations, the nation’s emergency responders are dealing with the aftermath of a violent wave of flash flooding in nearly half of the country’s 50 provinces.—
Opheli Garcia Lawler,
Travel + Leisure,
14 July 2025
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The two got married, had a baby, and started a quiet life together far away from his violent past.—
Allison DeGrushe Published,
EW.com,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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Stanton, demonstrating that there’s still plenty of power in his vicious swing, sent the pitch 401 feet the other way at 106.1 mph.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
9 July 2025
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The author presents a vicious takedown of George Washington.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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As a result of their negligence, a little boy who lives in the Flats dies, and Sodality is furious.—
Deborah Williams
July 14,
Literary Hub,
14 July 2025
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Lansing, the first woman to lead a Hollywood studio, was furious.—
Michael Grynbaum,
HollywoodReporter,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ferocious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ferocious. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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