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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The rebound in corporate profitability was largely helped by Beijing’s policies aimed at curtailing fierce price competition across industrial sectors, at a time when deflation in producer prices stretched into its third year.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
27 Oct. 2025
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The eyewall generally produces the fiercest winds and heaviest rainfall, according to Deanna Hence, a professor of climate, meteorology and atmospheric sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.—
NPR,
NPR,
27 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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Alongside Idris as the president, the lead ensemble cast of increasingly frantic White House officials, security advisors and senior military figures includes the likes of Rebecca Ferguson, Greta Lee, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Jason Clarke and Tracy Letts.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
24 Oct. 2025
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The Broncos have had to open their season on the opposite side of the country the past two years — a frantic 56-45 win at Georgia Southern last year and a 34-7 loss to South Florida in August.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Gómez took the 5-day trip to Mexico City as a brief respite before starting intensive training to care for Noah at his home in New York City.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
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And the side hustle is time-intensive.—
Megan Sauer,
CNBC,
24 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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This creates a vicious cycle where shame is a currency, and the only person who actually pays a price is the one who is mocked.—
Eli Thompson,
Rolling Stone,
25 Oct. 2025
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After their parents got the police involved, the case remained unsolved for months until the FBI uncovered the shocking truth of who was behind the vicious messages after all.—
James Mercadante,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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That’s how Gibson and Smith both ended up in prison, each furious under the impression that the other had put them there.—
Omar Jimenez,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
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Roschman and Billitier immediately called Ozer, furious.—
Steve Belanger,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ferocious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ferocious. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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