as in brutality
a very fierce or violent quality; the quality or state of being ferocious
the ferocity of the attack The ferocity of the backlash took them by surprise.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 ferocity
Tossed and battered by violent wind and severe turbulence, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Hurricane Hunters have spent the past week diving into the eye of Melissa — a storm of historic ferocity — to gather life-saving data.
—
Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
There was Ben’s head coach Tim Murphy (now retired), recalling Ben’s speed and ferocity on-field, which had earned him the nickname Badger.
—Nick Stern, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2025
Catastrophic Hurricane Melissa made landfall along the southwestern coast of Jamaica on Tuesday with dangerous wind speeds of 185 mph and life-threatening storm surge, preparing to leave a wake of destruction across the island before focusing its ferocity on southeastern Cuba.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
The defense flies around, hitting with ferocity.
—Kevin J. Farmer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ferocity
Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
There was Ben’s head coach Tim Murphy (now retired), recalling Ben’s speed and ferocity on-field, which had earned him the nickname Badger.
—Nick Stern, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2025
Catastrophic Hurricane Melissa made landfall along the southwestern coast of Jamaica on Tuesday with dangerous wind speeds of 185 mph and life-threatening storm surge, preparing to leave a wake of destruction across the island before focusing its ferocity on southeastern Cuba.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
The defense flies around, hitting with ferocity.
—Kevin J. Farmer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ferocity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ferocity
Noun
-
With much of the world horrified by the USSR’s brutality, Eisenhower was furious that the British-French-Israeli offensive was both diverting international attention and handing Moscow a PR victory by enabling it to speak about Western aggression in the Middle East.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The 1986 film also included accounts by former conscripts who had been forced to participate in the Russian occupation of Afghanistan, making clear the hopelessness and brutality of the war, starkly contrasting with the Kremlin’s version of a war of progress and purpose.—
Will Tizard,
Variety,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Pardo Bazán’s themes are fear, love, hatred, forgiveness, cruelty, repentance, homesickness, and madness—that is, naked reality as experienced across social strata in her time.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
-
The punishment doesn't match the cruelty of your actions.—
Cameron Knight,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
James has an earnest charm, Christine a solid fierceness and Fidler a relatable fragility.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Create a communications and social media platform that is wired to fight back with the same fierceness and determination as the IDF.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ferocity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ferocity. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share