1
as in ferocious
violently unfriendly or aggressive in disposition
the Vikings had a well-earned reputation for being fierce warriors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
a fierce wind made the frigid temperatures seem even worse
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3
as in gruff
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
the fierce faces of the players on the opposing hockey team
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4
as in aggressive
having or showing a bold forcefulness in the pursuit of a goal
a social reformer of fierce and fearless determination
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5
as in violent
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
fierce fighting raged in the streets of the war-torn city
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6
as in frantic
marked by great and often stressful excitement or activity
fierce early-morning trading sent stocks soaring
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fierce
Strong storms with fierce winds raced across the Carolinas on Saturday, knocking out power to 22,000 Duke Energy customers.
—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
27 June 2026
Resistance was fierce across stakeholders.
—
James G. Naples,
Fortune,
27 June 2026
In particular, Crosby, Malkin, and Rust are three of the fiercest competitors to ever wear a Penguins uniform.
—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
27 June 2026
The four-day war was brief but fierce, with hostilities waged across vast geographies.
—
Michael Kugelman,
Time,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fierce
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
27 June 2026
Resistance was fierce across stakeholders.
—
James G. Naples,
Fortune,
27 June 2026
In particular, Crosby, Malkin, and Rust are three of the fiercest competitors to ever wear a Penguins uniform.
—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
27 June 2026
The four-day war was brief but fierce, with hostilities waged across vast geographies.
—
Michael Kugelman,
Time,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fierce
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fierce
Adjective
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Speaking of, Ross asked Janssen about the steamy bathhouse scene during which Xenia and Bond face off in an encounter that is both flirty and ferocious.
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In 2018, a blaze east of Athens moved with ferocious speed, killing more than 100 people.
Adjective
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Indie Shakes managing director David Melville distills his production around scenes of intense conflict.
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As the planet warms, extreme heat events are becoming more common, intense and long-lasting.
Adjective
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Abraham Lincoln furiously scribbled in Springfield on June 27, 1858, firing off a gruff note to the editor-in-chief of the Chicago Press & Tribune, then in business for only 11 years.
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But Rose bet that a less gruff voice, ultimately Mike Brown’s, was required to win it all.
Adjective
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The goal is gentle smoke and indirect heat rather than aggressive flames.
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Right now, the multi-trillion-dollar global apparel industry is undergoing an aggressive technological shift, adopting artificial intelligence as a production standard rather than an experimental pilot.
Adjective
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Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, writes about violent weather, climate change and other news.
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English soccer fans have earned a reputation for violent hooliganism, hurling plastic chairs and brawling their way across the piazzas and boulevards of Europe.
Adjective
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From the frantic frenzy surrounding royal nuptials to the way the internet dissected every possible clue from Zendaya and Tom Holland before they were revealed to have officially tied the knot, weddings like these are a cultural event.
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On a remote Maine logging road, a couple out for a day of fishing unexpectedly encountered a black bear chasing a frantic moose calf toward their truck.
Adjective
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The Yellow Death has disfigured the population, and soldiers in white-and-red tunics serve the savage Duke of Tviot.
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Josefowicz, in her decathlon of a performance, brought Ligeti’s savage discontinuities to the surface.
Adjective
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The jockeys take on months of intensive training in order to ride in the Ladies’ Race.
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On the flip side, semiconductor manufacturing is one of the most complex and energy-intensive industrial processes in the world, with emissions projected to reach 277 million metric tons of CO₂ equivalent by 2030.
Cite this Entry
“Fierce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fierce. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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