ferocious
adjective
fe·ro·cious
fə-ˈrō-shəs 
1
: exhibiting or given to extreme fierceness and unrestrained violence and brutality
a ferocious predator
the ferocious butchery of women and children
2
: extremely intense
ferocious heat
The competition among the students was ferocious.
ferociously
adverb
ferociousness
noun
Examples of ferocious in a Sentence
A ferocious wind swept the beach.
The competition among the students was ferocious.
Recent Examples on the Web
The game on Monday had its chippy moments between two budding division rivals, but nothing matching the ferocious intensity of the teams’ memorable outing a month ago.
—
ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
Italy happens to be in similarly ferocious form, however, and has won seven of its last eight, albeit losing twice in as many encounters with qualifying group winner Norway last year.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
After 2000’s Prototype, a selection of ferocious cuts from several live sets that served as their second album, an 11-year gap followed, suggesting Harriet Tubman was more a project than a band.
—Reed Jackson, SPIN, 30 Mar. 2026
Despite Iran’s remarkably ferocious response across the region – attacking neighbors like Oman who days earlier mediated between Tehran and Washington - weeks of intense airstrikes against its cities and military has not magically left it a hundred feet tall.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ferocious
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.
ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
Italy happens to be in similarly ferocious form, however, and has won seven of its last eight, albeit losing twice in as many encounters with qualifying group winner Norway last year.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
After 2000’s Prototype, a selection of ferocious cuts from several live sets that served as their second album, an 11-year gap followed, suggesting Harriet Tubman was more a project than a band.
—Reed Jackson, SPIN, 30 Mar. 2026
Despite Iran’s remarkably ferocious response across the region – attacking neighbors like Oman who days earlier mediated between Tehran and Washington - weeks of intense airstrikes against its cities and military has not magically left it a hundred feet tall.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ferocious
Cite this Entry
“Ferocious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ferocious. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ferocious
adjective
fe·ro·cious
fə-ˈrō-shəs
1
2
: very great : extreme
ferocious heat
ferociously
adverb
ferociousness
noun
ferocity
noun
fə-ˈräs-ət-ē
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
