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
Given the ferocity of the regime’s response to the protests in January, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of Iranians, are Iranians willing to face down Iran’s internal security forces and drive what remains of the regime from power?
—
Javed Ali, The Conversation, 28 Feb. 2026
The ferocity of their scenes together, aided by Arias’ devoted yet outmaneuvered Thea, sets the production ablaze with erotic danger.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
Calling these early moments of the bit act-outs don’t quite do them justice, as Fleming throws himself into the performance with an uninhibited ferocity that would make his college professors proud.
—John Roy, Vulture, 19 Feb. 2026
Used like this, velocity with ferocity is a potent weapon.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ferocity
Javed Ali, The Conversation, 28 Feb. 2026
The ferocity of their scenes together, aided by Arias’ devoted yet outmaneuvered Thea, sets the production ablaze with erotic danger.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
Calling these early moments of the bit act-outs don’t quite do them justice, as Fleming throws himself into the performance with an uninhibited ferocity that would make his college professors proud.
—John Roy, Vulture, 19 Feb. 2026
Used like this, velocity with ferocity is a potent weapon.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ferocity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ferocity
Noun
-
Is there also a whiff of nostalgia in the slow movement, for a world disintegrating in brutality?—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
An Iranian man living in Colorado who fled after the 1970s revolution to keep his wife and daughters safe and free, says his generation regrets supporting the change in government that led to decades of brutality.—
Chierstin Roth,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Christopher Lucas was arraigned in Quincy District Court, facing charges that include animal cruelty and hunting without a license.—
Penny Kmitt,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
-
For too long, Wyoming has been an outlier in tolerating extreme cruelty toward its wild carnivores.—
Wendy Keefover,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And then Portland reflected that ferociousness and held Phoenix to 77 points.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Here, sea level rise is accelerating at some of the most extreme rates on Earth, while hurricanes increasingly are swirling ashore with an unprecedented ferociousness.—
Amy Green,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The guy was a sleaze, but there’s a pretty big gap between sleaziness and murderousness.—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
12 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
His mother bequeathed to him her fierceness.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Newsom’s allies attribute much of this to the governor’s fierceness in the redistricting efforts.—
Amie Parnes,
The Hill,
10 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ferocity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ferocity. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
