1
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
the ferocious appetite that athletic teenagers have been known to display
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in savage
violently unfriendly or aggressive in disposition
the animal is known as a ferocious predator
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ferocious
In its ferocious response, Israel's military killed more than 68,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza health officials.
—
Greg Myre, NPR, 28 Oct. 2025
In the film’s second half, the Creature recounts his version of events, which is by turns gentle and ferocious, and finally heartbreaking.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2025
Cleveland trailed 9-7, having lived up to its reputation as one of the NFL’s most ferocious defenses by putting the clamps on a leading MVP candidate.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 28 Oct. 2025
What was once the most ferocious defense in the NBA is now awfully tame.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ferocious
Greg Myre, NPR, 28 Oct. 2025
In the film’s second half, the Creature recounts his version of events, which is by turns gentle and ferocious, and finally heartbreaking.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2025
Cleveland trailed 9-7, having lived up to its reputation as one of the NFL’s most ferocious defenses by putting the clamps on a leading MVP candidate.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 28 Oct. 2025
What was once the most ferocious defense in the NBA is now awfully tame.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ferocious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ferocious
Adjective
-
Gas and dust fall into a rotating disk around the black hole, and as the debris spirals more rapidly, it becomes superheated, releasing intense radiation.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
True Ipomea batatas has bright orange flesh (although modern varieties have much more intense colors than older forms), occasionally white and rarely purple.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Some nearby residents, including Sue Weston — the owner of Weston Gardens in Bloom, a historic garden located on Anglin Drive — have expressed fierce opposition to the data center.—
Emily Holshouser,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Last year, the governor tried to increase the number of in-office days to four only to face fierce resistance from his employees and their labor representatives.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This league is a savage league.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
22 Dec. 2025
-
The fifth-place finisher also reveals the inspiration for her savage jury question to Savannah.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Marissa’s frantic initial attempts to find him and figure out what happened create a suspenseful, frightening opening.—
Hilary Lewis,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Nov. 2025
-
As the family's frantic search begins, the media is quick to point the finger at Marissa and her friend, Jenny Kaminski (Fanning), whose nanny, Carrie Finch (Sophia Lillis), becomes the prime suspect.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Between 2022 and 2023, a team from Arkeologerna conducted an intensive investigation in the southernmost area of the former city.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Nov. 2025
-
The orbiters are expected to linger in a holding pattern before heading for Mars next year when the red planet is better aligned for a less fuel-intensive journey.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Safavi said the blackout coincided with violent confrontations in several regions.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Parallel societies in certain urban areas and rising violent crime statistics linked to some migrant cohorts in countries such as Sweden and Germany led to the dramatic rise of populist and patriotic parties across the continent, from France to Italy to the Netherlands.—
Daniel Ross Goodman,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Officials charged Damon Leanord of Pleasanton, Kansas, with interference with law enforcement, having a vicious dog at large and criminal desecration of a body in Linn County and abandonment of a corpse charges in Bates County, Missouri, after finding the child’s body at the bottom of a creek bed.—
Sofi Zeman
January 6,
Kansas City Star,
6 Jan. 2026
-
He was shocked in 2013 when he was struck by vicious bouts of vomiting.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Anaheim had a furious rally in the third, outshooting Washington 17-5.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 2026
-
For at that very moment, the barn door swung open, and snow swept up in a furious fashion.—
Lauren Ashley Bishop,
Variety,
4 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ferocious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ferocious. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share