fierce

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“
The Celts were first described as a fierce, warlike, terrifying people, many of whom would have strings of human heads tied on their bridles.

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Definitions (20)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (6)

  1. adjective Having a savage and violent nature; ferocious. See Synonyms at cruel.
  2. adjective Extremely severe or violent; terrible: "the fierce thunders roar me their music” (Ezra Pound).
  3. adjective Extremely intense or ardent: fierce loyalty. See Synonyms at intense.
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Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (9)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

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Examples (50)

  • A corp'ral fierce, a nurse, a child that cry'd, And a fat landlord, filled the other side. —  The Life of Thomas Telford
  • For some reason this made his arousal more fierce, his sense of power soaring He heard the other men dismounting and halted, watching the girl. —  David Gemmell - (Lion of Macedon 01) Lion Of Macedon v1.0 (1990).htm
  • He sat on a boulder and thought of Derae Five days of love - fierce, passionate love. —  David Gemmell - (Lion of Macedon 01) Lion Of Macedon v1.0 (1990).htm
  • Her little poppet eyes had grown wide and fierce, and both of her hands had tightened into fists. —  FAULT LINE
  • Caesar attempted to reply; but so fierce were the passions that had been roused, that again he was in danger of violence. —  Caesar: A Sketch
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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

wild ·  passionate ·  fiery ·  powerful ·  savage ·  bold

Used in the same contextWord Family

fierce:   fiercer ·  fiercest
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English fiers, from Old French, from Latin ferus; see ghwer- in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. Early modern English also feerce feerse; from Middle English feirce. fuers, fers, ferse, fierse, fierce, also fersch, by confusion with fersch, fresch, bold, savage; from Old French fers, oldest nominative form of Old French fer, fier, fierce, bold, French fier, proud, = Provencal fer, fier = Italian fiero, fierce, cruel, stern, proud, from L. ferus, wild, untamed, savage, cruel, fierce, ferus, commonly feminine fera, a wild beast. Not related to Greek θήρ, a wild beast, or to English deer. Hence also (from Latin ferus) feræ, ferous, ferity, ferocious.
 

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/firs/
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