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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Critics, meanwhile, brought up police brutality, citing the killing of George Floyd, the video of which spurred national outrage.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
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Outside the home are the brutalities and horrors of war and the aftermath of war and of life under the Taliban’s first regime; inside are the brutalities and horrors of domestic violence at the hands of Rasheed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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One has simply grown so accustomed to his cruelty that, in an episode with so many other people acting on their worst impulses, Stephen stands out for momentarily acting on a good one.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
10 Feb. 2026
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Gray faces 29 charges, including two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of involuntary manslaughter, and multiple counts of second-degree cruelty to children.—
La'Tasha Givens,
CBS News,
9 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 13 Feb. 2026.
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