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
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
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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
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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
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In intra-party diplo-speak, that was about as fierce a burn as can come from the party’s central committee.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
10 Nov. 2025
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The city’s fierce weather pattern is fueled by the same Arctic air mass expected to sweep through the eastern two-thirds of the US this week.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The Edmund Fitzgerald was caught in a savage storm with hurricane-force winds around 100-mile-an-hour and waves up to 60 feet, crashing down on the freighter every four to eight seconds, says Bacon.—
NPR,
NPR,
6 Nov. 2025
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Here, spiritual infractions are met with savage physical punishment and some of the more grotesque images in recent horror memory (which, as the genre has become ever more popular and emboldened, is seriously saying something).—
Dennis Perkins,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Marissa’s frantic initial attempts to find him and figure out what happened create a suspenseful, frightening opening.—
Hilary Lewis,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Nov. 2025
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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
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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
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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
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Rising number of violent incidents, 911 calls But reducing the inmate population did not solve the problem with drugs and violence.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
5 Nov. 2025
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After Maggie and Paul were shot to death on June 7, 2021, Alex was found guilty of two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime, earning two consecutive life sentences without possibility of parole.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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But his preposterously wide net, his endless minions, and his vicious style left us no choice but to scale back on the data center theme.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
10 Nov. 2025
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Tommy's new relationship with Mireya Garcia (Carmela Zumbado) has sparked a face-off with her brother and the leader of the vicious drug gang Insane Princes, Miguel (Manuel Eduardo Ramirez).—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Cue more furious backlash from the Democratic base.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
11 Nov. 2025
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Sources said Turness, the BBC News chief, was blocked by the board from making a statement, a turn of events that is said to have left her furious.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ferocious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ferocious. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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