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
And then there’s Marty Supreme, which has been beaconing Jewish pride since Christmas Day, its title character competing not just with the Jewish stereotype of smarts but with stamina and skill, a ferocious athleticism.
—
Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
From that 1991 novel, Outlander, eventually came a television adaptation, starring Caitríona Balfe and Sam Heughan as Claire and Jamie Fraser—and with it, a ferocious cult following that has measurably impacted Scottish tourism.
—Reshma Gopaldas, Vogue, 17 Feb. 2026
That’s after the Dow soared by 1,200 points on Friday to top 50,000 for the first time as chipmakers and airlines fueled a ferocious stock market rebound off a deep selloff.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
The 28-year-old quarterback started slowly, completing only six of his first 17 pass attempts against a ferocious Patriots pass rush.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ferocious
Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
From that 1991 novel, Outlander, eventually came a television adaptation, starring Caitríona Balfe and Sam Heughan as Claire and Jamie Fraser—and with it, a ferocious cult following that has measurably impacted Scottish tourism.
—Reshma Gopaldas, Vogue, 17 Feb. 2026
That’s after the Dow soared by 1,200 points on Friday to top 50,000 for the first time as chipmakers and airlines fueled a ferocious stock market rebound off a deep selloff.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
The 28-year-old quarterback started slowly, completing only six of his first 17 pass attempts against a ferocious Patriots pass rush.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ferocious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ferocious
Adjective
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The mild meats and cheeses should be consumed first, with diners gradually moving on to the most intense ones so as to not overpower the more delicate flavors.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Feb. 2026
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As Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance nears one month, the intense focus on her case is drawing overdue attention to other missing person cases that have long gone unnoticed.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Born in 1941 to an unwed teenage mother in Greenville, South Carolina, Jackson turned heads early with his fierce drive and athletic ability.—
Mark Whitaker,
CBS News,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Göransson saw off fierce competition, including Alexandre Desplat, a 13-time nominee and three-time winner of the category; the latter was nominated for his score for Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein.—
Thomas Smith,
Billboard,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Watching Marcia Gay Harden embark on a savage killing spree was not on my cinematic bingo card for 2026.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Wade Wilson confessed to the savage murders of two women, yet even that brutality failed to repel admirers.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Soon, though, the wall came alive—a colony of rustling and chirping, a frantic rodent argument.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
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Contact and frantic transitions With so little margin for error, much focus is on the transition sections where athletes switch out their equipment.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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These calculations are computationally intensive and only recently became feasible.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Feb. 2026
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Modernizing manufacturing and automating industry will be energy-intensive.—
Stuart Loren,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Again, legal observers and ordinary citizens captured his violent death from several angles.—
Nick Woltman,
Twin Cities,
22 Feb. 2026
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As the hours passed, violent events were replicated in Colima, Nayarit, Aguascalientes and Guanajuato, where blockades and attacks on infrastructure are multiplying.—
Claudia Núñez,
AZCentral.com,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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There are fun villains; Reggie’s nemesis is a sneakily vicious NFL alum (Craig Robinson) with the splendid name Jerry Basmati.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
20 Feb. 2026
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Anderson received the Sydney Schanberg Prize for his reporting on decades of war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where regional and global actors have fuelled one of the world’s most vicious entrenched conflicts.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Some still vividly recall the heavy, thick pall of smoke that drifted through the entire region, fed by furious wildfires to the east and north.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 Feb. 2026
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Both of these rabbis were already furious about the formation of the American Council for Judaism, an anti-Zionist organization that a group of German Jews, including Julian, had founded in 1942.—
Nicholas Lemann,
New Yorker,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ferocious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ferocious. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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