FEROCITY Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

ferocity

noun

Definition of ferocity

as in brutality

a very fierce or violent quality; the quality or state of being ferocious the ferocity of the attack The ferocity of the backlash took them by surprise.

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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 ferocity Our neighbors have lived through hurricanes of record-breaking ferocity. — Paula Weatherby, Florida Times-Union, 5 Sep. 2026 Bigelow shoots with a clear-eyed ferocity that puts many modern action directors to shame. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026 Love emphasized that a week of partying and art viewing on the playa can breed ferocity. — Henry Alford, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026 The scale, organization and ferocity of the operation led to accusations of ethnic cleansing and genocide from the international community, including the United Nations. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ferocity

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ferocity

Noun

The case got widespread attention because of the brutality of the killing, the ages of the people involved and because a satanic symbol was carved into the victim’s body.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026
That reporting revealed that the state frequently seizes money from legal settlements stemming from medical malpractice, police brutality, workplace injury and other wrongful death lawsuits.

— Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of brutality

Noun

Ted Gualtier, owner of Happy Tail Happy Dog, LLC, has been charged by Denver authorities with one count of cruelty to animals.

— Brian Maass, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
Many abolitionists and Quakers – who fought to ban slavery – initially supported the colonization society’s removal efforts as a means for helping Black residents escape the cruelty of American laws, especially the Fugitive Slave Acts.

— Karen Masterson, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of cruelty

Noun

The ferociousness of the defending champs can be, has been, overwhelming for most.

— Marcus Thompson II, New York Times, 19 May 2026
Here, sea level rise is accelerating at some of the most extreme rates on Earth, while hurricanes increasingly are swirling ashore with an unprecedented ferociousness.

— Amy Green, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026

Definition of ferociousness

Noun

Curled up in a chair on the top floor of The Times’ offices in El Segundo, looking down on the runways of LAX boiling in the late July sun, Williams gives runway fierceness against the beige office walls.

— Maureen Lee Lenker, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
The actress cranked the fierceness all the way up while appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on July 30.

— Christina Perrier, InStyle, 31 July 2026

Definition of fierceness

Browse Nearby Words

ferociousness

ferocity

ferret

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“Ferocity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ferocity. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of ferocity

noun

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