FEROCIOUS Synonyms: 219 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'ferocious' different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of ferocious are barbarous , cruel , fierce , and savage . While all these words mean "showing fury or malignity in looks or actions," ferocious implies extreme fierceness and unrestrained violence and brutality. // a ferocious dog

Q: When is 'barbarous' a more appropriate choice than 'ferocious'?

Although the words barbarous and ferocious have much in common, barbarous implies a ferocity or mercilessness regarded as unworthy of civilized people. // barbarous treatment of prisoners

Q: When can 'cruel' be used instead of 'ferocious'?

While the synonyms cruel and ferocious are close in meaning, cruel implies indifference to suffering and even positive pleasure in inflicting it. // the cruel jokes of schoolboys

Q: Where would 'fierce' be a reasonable alternative to 'ferocious'?

The meanings of fierce and ferocious largely overlap; however, fierce applies to humans and animals that inspire terror because of their wild and menacing aspect or fury in attack. // fierce warriors

Q: When would 'savage' be a good substitute for 'ferocious'?

In some situations, the words savage and ferocious are roughly equivalent. However, savage implies the absence of inhibitions restraining civilized people filled with rage, lust, or other violent passion. // a savage criminal

ferocious

adjective

fə-ˈrō-shəs

Definition of ferocious

as in intense

extreme in degree, power, or effect the ferocious appetite that athletic teenagers have been known to display

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in fierce

marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity ferocious forest fires threatened to destroy hundreds of homes in the scrubland

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in savage

violently unfriendly or aggressive in disposition the animal is known as a ferocious predator

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in frantic

marked by great and often stressful excitement or activity after a day of ferocious up-and-down trading, the stock market ended up down 300 points

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word ferocious different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of ferocious are barbarous, cruel, fierce, and savage. While all these words mean "showing fury or malignity in looks or actions," ferocious implies extreme fierceness and unrestrained violence and brutality.

a ferocious dog

When is barbarous a more appropriate choice than ferocious?

Although the words barbarous and ferocious have much in common, barbarous implies a ferocity or mercilessness regarded as unworthy of civilized people.

barbarous treatment of prisoners

When can cruel be used instead of ferocious?

While the synonyms cruel and ferocious are close in meaning, cruel implies indifference to suffering and even positive pleasure in inflicting it.

the cruel jokes of schoolboys

Where would fierce be a reasonable alternative to ferocious?

The meanings of fierce and ferocious largely overlap; however, fierce applies to humans and animals that inspire terror because of their wild and menacing aspect or fury in attack.

fierce warriors

When would savage be a good substitute for ferocious?

In some situations, the words savage and ferocious are roughly equivalent. However, savage implies the absence of inhibitions restraining civilized people filled with rage, lust, or other violent passion.

a savage criminal

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of ferocious The characters thrust and parry with ferocious wit in an upscale California desert setting that scenic designer Scott Pask generically satirizes as a category of social living. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026 Kawasaki's expanding its legendary Versys range of practical adventure motorcycles with a new model featuring the in-line four that powers its ferocious Z900 streetfighter. — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026 Former president Nicolas Sarkozy is also a ferocious PSG fan. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2026 In the Atlantic, not a single hurricane has formed yet, a record for this late into hurricane season, due to ferocious wind shear brought on by El Niño. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ferocious

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ferocious

Adjective

George Bonanno, a psychologist at Columbia University, explains that many people who have intense symptoms initially—such as nightmares and flashbacks—won’t develop PTSD.

— Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Still, the competition among jewelers is becoming more intense, not only for sports team’s commissions but also to design ever flashier pieces with intricate details.

— Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of intense

Adjective

Projects that communities had originally welcomed were suddenly met with fierce opposition, and companies had to improve.

— Neil Chatterjee, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
What is to come afterwards is when their world is on fire as the fierce Battle Of Okinawa Island takes them , and us, back to sad reality.

— Pete Hammond, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of fierce

Adjective

There are plenty of other very cool pieces that become street style staples, but don’t inspire the same frantic desire.

— Joan Kennedy, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
Ajon Singh, who wrote the screenplay, spent a frantic week retooling it to persuade him to change his mind.

— Alex Barasch, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of frantic

Adjective

Just a half-hour north of San Diego, the property is comprised of over 600 acres of hills, meadows, Japanese gardens, and citrus groves, including 30 miles of private hiking trails and five acres of bio-intensive gardens.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
On the cost side, Zuckerberg did acknowledge that Muse is currently very compute-intensive.

— Zev Fima, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of intensive

Adjective

Government critics and human rights campaigners have alleged that police tactics in the last month have been unnecessarily violent.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
But complicating the government's efforts to bring the French deficit under control are widespread protests that have turned increasingly violent since starting as a Parisian student movement last month.

— Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of violent

Adjective

The vicious cycle of the current model, of course, is that to become marketable a team needs to get and retain good players, and to do that a school has to spend money, which cycles the whole thing back to the start.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
Governments were expected to rescue struggling banks, which held large amounts of sovereign debt, creating a vicious cycle.

— Jenni Reid,Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of vicious

Browse Nearby Words

ferments

ferocious

ferociousness

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“Ferocious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ferocious. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of ferocious

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