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.
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Recent Examples of ferocity
Yet Auburn still plays with the ferocity and pace Bruce Pearl instilled in his teams during his 31 seasons as a head coach.
—
Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2026
Suturing Mary Shelley’s novel to his own 21st century anti-technocrat ferocity, Guillermo del Toro cranked up his ambitions in every element from costumes to cinematography and thrillingly brought his favorite ghoul to life.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
The 210-pound Hassan teams with 6-7, 235-pound sophomore Chikasi Ofoma to give the Chiefs (14-5, 4-1) a strong inside presence, but their guards attack the basket with ferocity as well.
—Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
The species is the largest member of the mustelid family, which includes otters, weasels and badgers, and is known for its ferocity and elusive nature.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ferocity
Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2026
Suturing Mary Shelley’s novel to his own 21st century anti-technocrat ferocity, Guillermo del Toro cranked up his ambitions in every element from costumes to cinematography and thrillingly brought his favorite ghoul to life.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
The 210-pound Hassan teams with 6-7, 235-pound sophomore Chikasi Ofoma to give the Chiefs (14-5, 4-1) a strong inside presence, but their guards attack the basket with ferocity as well.
—Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
The species is the largest member of the mustelid family, which includes otters, weasels and badgers, and is known for its ferocity and elusive nature.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ferocity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ferocity
Noun
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The department’s oversight, an unprecedented arrangement that began with the infamous Riders brutality scandal in the early 2000s, will continue at least until May.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
31 Jan. 2026
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The movie is happy to have Linda commit acts of brutality to preserve her place on top, but what is true equality if not allowing your anti-heroine to be in all ways just as monstrously self-interested as the men?—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Observing human behavior confirms that for some among us, the perfidious lust for unbridled power and the imposition of cruelty in its quest know no bounds and are bereft of human decency.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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An animal cruelty investigation involving two dogs has ignited outrage on social media, after photos revealed the pets were tethered and abandoned during Charlotte’s weekend snow storm.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
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The guy was a sleaze, but there’s a pretty big gap between sleaziness and murderousness.—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
12 Dec. 2025
Noun
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His mother bequeathed to him her fierceness.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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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 6 Feb. 2026.
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