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ferocious definition

fe·ro·cious (fə rō′s̸həs)

adjective

  1. fierce; savage; violently cruel
  2. Informal very great a ferocious appetite

Etymology: < L ferox (gen. ferocis), wild, untamed < ferus, fierce + base akin to oculus, eye + -ous

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

ferocious Synonyms

ferocious

modif.

fierce, savage, wild, feral, barbarous, untamed, fell, brutal, cruel, sanguinary, predatory, ravenous, vehement, violent, unrestrained, bloodthirsty, murderous, brutish, pitiless, merciless, unmerciful, fearsome, frightful.

Antonyms gentle*, mild*, tame.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

ferocious Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • carnivore: They are ferocious carnivores equipped with huge jaws to capture prey.

Modifying Another Word

  • equally: So what can you do to develop equally ferocious agility?

Used with adjective complement

  • become: Show them a cruise missile or a map, and they become more ferocious than the generals.
ferocious usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

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MLA Style

"ferocious." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/ferocious>

APA Style

ferocious. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/ferocious

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