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Synonym Chooser

How is the word fierce different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of fierce are barbarous, cruel, ferocious, and savage. While all these words mean "showing fury or malignity in looks or actions," fierce applies to humans and animals that inspire terror because of their wild and menacing aspect or fury in attack.

fierce warriors

Where would barbarous be a reasonable alternative to fierce?

While in some cases nearly identical to fierce, barbarous implies a ferocity or mercilessness regarded as unworthy of civilized people.

barbarous treatment of prisoners

When is it sensible to use cruel instead of fierce?

The meanings of cruel and fierce largely overlap; however, cruel implies indifference to suffering and even positive pleasure in inflicting it.

the cruel jokes of schoolboys

When would ferocious be a good substitute for fierce?

The synonyms ferocious and fierce are sometimes interchangeable, but ferocious implies extreme fierceness and unrestrained violence and brutality.

a ferocious dog

When can savage be used instead of fierce?

Although the words savage and fierce have much in common, savage implies the absence of inhibitions restraining civilized people filled with rage, lust, or other violent passion.

a savage criminal

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 fierce The choreography by Warren Carlyle is sensational, energetic, and whimsical, making inventive use of props including pirouetting parasols, spectacular sabres, and fierce flagging. Christian Lewis, Variety, 25 Apr. 2025 That whoop-ass machine is played with a fierce scowl by MMA fighter Michelle Waterson. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 Apr. 2025 Kate and Joe are adored for their against-all-odds love story and fierce philanthropy — but when someone threatens their new status quo, Joe handles it the old-fashioned way and lights the fuse on blowing up his entire life. Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 24 Apr. 2025 Two wins fueled by fierce defense and Tyler Herro’s 38- and 30-point shows have Miami as the No. 8 seed at No. 1 Cleveland in Game 1 of the NBA playoffs’ first round tonight/Sunday. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fierce
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fierce
Adjective
  • This ferocious, steep-banked corner possesses a wild 24% gradient, a nod to Spain’s bullfighting heritage.
    Kanzah Maktoum, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
  • But this team was special, with a watertight defence combined with a ferocious forward line of Ronaldo (his best goalscoring season for United), Rooney and Tevez.
    Nick Miller, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Whether singing a cappella or accompanied by her guitar to hundreds or thousands of people − at a small venue or an awards show − Lafourcade's performances feel visceral, intense and intimate all at once.
    Pamela Avila, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
  • In place of intense (and potentially irritating) acids, Mediheal's Madecassoside Blemish Pads target breakouts and breakout-causing bacteria with anti-inflammatory powerhouses madecassoside and cica.
    Sarah Han, Allure, 25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Bowling paints with the rhythm of a gruff intellectual.
    James Russell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2025
  • The actor behind the gruff but lovable Roy Kent shared a purrfectly eccentric analogy about the show's return on a recent episode of NPR's Wild Card podcast.
    Jessica Wang, EW.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • But in recent weeks, Musk dramatically lowered his taxpayer savings estimates from DOGE's government cuts, disagreed publicly with Trump's aggressive tariff policies and butted heads with multiple Trump officials, some publicly, revealing divisions within the White House over Musk's influence.
    Joey Garrison, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Moderate Republicans from swing districts are balking at deep cuts to social safety net programs, even as hardliners demand more aggressive reductions.
    Nik Popli, Time, 29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The ads target the state House Democrats over taxes and violent crime, as well as women’s and girl’s safety.
    Julia Manchester, The Hill, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Angry Birds: Climate Change and Avian Migration Olivia Box April 3, 2022 Temperature fluctuations throughout the years are affecting bird migration and mating, with sometimes violent results.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The Kings ran out to a four-goal lead then had to hold off a frantic Edmonton comeback to beat the Oilers 6-5 in a wild opener of a best-of-seven first-round playoff series at Crypto.com Arena on Monday night.
    Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Until his son was cleared on June 27, Mark Dixon, a medical sales representative in the oncology field, was frantic with worry.
    Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2022
  • As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.
    Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 27 Dec. 2022
Adjective
  • Since early March, Israel has cut Gaza off from the supply of humanitarian aid including food, with aid agencies warning that the situation for the strip’s 2 million civilians has deteriorated dangerously, only worsened by intensive Israeli military operations.
    Irene Nasser, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2025
  • Now, more than six months after first complaining of stomach pain, Butlin started her first three-month course of intensive chemotherapy on April 8.
    Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 14 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fierce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fierce. Accessed 4 May. 2025.

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