as in intensity
the quality or state of being forceful (as in expression)
the fierceness of her denial prompted many people to wonder if maybe she was innocent after all
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Recent Examples of fierceness
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
His fierceness, driven by the need to protect his child, is the motor of a movie that people have continued to see (and talk about) for months after its September release.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
Compelled by a sense of justice, Khuloud, invested with fierceness and humor by Al Massri, finds herself more and more on the outside of her husband’s social and business circles.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 26 Nov. 2025
The daughter of one former city mayor and the sister of another, her colleagues have often attributed that upbringing to her sharp negotiating tactics and fierceness in politics.
—Cnn.com, Mercury News, 6 Nov. 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
The symbolic fierceness was backed up by AVG pilots in combat.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025
Whereas his predecessor Casey Cadwallader earned a reputation for body-conscious designs and bombastic runway displays of fashion fierceness, Freitas wants to recenter the label’s tailoring heritage with a contemporary spin on the power dressing pioneered by founder Manfred Thierry Mugler.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
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
His fierceness, driven by the need to protect his child, is the motor of a movie that people have continued to see (and talk about) for months after its September release.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
Compelled by a sense of justice, Khuloud, invested with fierceness and humor by Al Massri, finds herself more and more on the outside of her husband’s social and business circles.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 26 Nov. 2025
The daughter of one former city mayor and the sister of another, her colleagues have often attributed that upbringing to her sharp negotiating tactics and fierceness in politics.
—Cnn.com, Mercury News, 6 Nov. 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
The symbolic fierceness was backed up by AVG pilots in combat.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025
Whereas his predecessor Casey Cadwallader earned a reputation for body-conscious designs and bombastic runway displays of fashion fierceness, Freitas wants to recenter the label’s tailoring heritage with a contemporary spin on the power dressing pioneered by founder Manfred Thierry Mugler.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fierceness
Noun
-
The first meeting of the season between the NBA champions and a Knicks team that fell two wins short of facing them in the NBA Finals had a high level of intensity.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The plan drops long-standing energy intensity targets, reflecting a shift toward measuring climate progress based directly on emissions.—
Natasha Bracken,
semafor.com,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Jokic became wrapped up in how it was officiated throughout the night, letting Utah’s aggressiveness get to him at times instead of playing through it and imposing his own physicality.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
3 Mar. 2026
-
In the final, Nidelea-Polanin mounted a tactically sharp and defensive-oriented approach that nullified the usual aggressiveness of Gochis.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fierceness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fierceness. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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