ferociousadj.
/fᵻˈrəʊʃəs/, U.S. /fəˈroʊʃəs/ 1. Of animals or persons, their dispositions or actions: Fierce, savage; savagely cruel or destructive.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > by nature > [adjective] > wild or vicious
wildc725
wrothOE
keenOE
ramagec1300
fell?c1335
furiousc1374
fierce1377
ramageousa1398
eagerc1405
savage1447
naughtyc1460
criminal1477
ill1480
shrewd1509
mankind1519
roidc1540
mad1565
horn-mad1579
fierceful1607
man-keen1607
indomite1617
fellish1638
ferocious1646
ferousa1652
ferinea1676
kwaai1827
skelm1827
the mind > goodness and badness > harmfulness > savagery > [adjective]
grimlyc893
retheeOE
grim971
bitterOE
bremec1175
grillc1175
grimfula1240
cruel1297
sturdy1297
fiercea1300
fellc1300
boistousa1387
felonousc1386
savagea1393
bestiala1398
bremelya1400
felona1400
hetera1400
cursedc1400
wicked14..
vengeablec1430
wolvishc1430
unnatural?1473
inhuman1481
brutisha1513
cruent1524
felonish1530
mannish1530
abominate1531
lionish1549
boarish?1550
truculent?c1550
unhumanc1550
lion-like1556
beastly1558
orped1567
raw?1573
tigerish?1573
unmanlike1579
boisterous1581
savaged1583
tiger-like1587
yond1590
truculental1593
savage wild1595
tigerous1597
inhumane1598
Neronian1598
immane1599
Phalarical1602
ungentle1603
feral1604
savagious1605
fierceful1607
Dionysian1608
wolvy1611
Hunnish1625
lionly1631
tigerly1633
savage-hearted1639
brutal1641
feroce1641
ferocious1646
asperous1650
ferousa1652
wolfish1674
tiger1763
savage-fierce1770
Tartar1809
Tartarly1821
Neroic1851
tigery1859
Neronic1864
unmannish1867
inhumanitarian1947
the world > action or operation > behaviour > bad behaviour > fierceness > [adjective]
grimlyc893
wrothc893
reighOE
grima1000
grillc1175
witherc1175
grimfula1240
sturdy1297
wild1297
fiercea1300
man-keenc1300
stoutc1300
cruelc1330
fell?c1335
wicked1375
felonousc1386
felona1400
cursedc1400
runishc1400
keen?c1425
roid?c1425
wolvishc1430
ranishc1450
malicious1485
mankind1519
mannish1530
lionish1549
truculent?c1550
lion-like1556
tigerish?1573
tiger-like1587
truculental1593
Amazonian1595
tigerous1597
feral1604
fierceful1607
efferous1614
lionly1631
tigerly1633
feroce1641
ferocious1646
asperous1650
ferousa1652
blusterous1663
wolfish1674
boarisha1718
savage-fierce1770
Tartar1809
Tartarly1821
wolfy1828
savagerous1832
hawkish1841
tigery1859
attern1868
Hunnish1915
1646 Sir T. Browne Pseudodoxia Epidemica iii. xvi. 144 The Lyon a..ferocious animall hath young ones but seldome. View more context for this quotation
1791 J. Boswell Life Johnson anno 1776 II. 93 He was by no means of that ferocious..character.
1794 R. J. Sulivan View of Nature I. 188 The most..ferocious beasts are alarmed by it.
1828 W. Scott Fair Maid of Perth xi, in Chron. Canongate 2nd Ser. II. 325 One whom they had been taught to consider as a ferocious..libertine.
a1853 F. W. Robertson Lect. (1858) ii. 76 I cannot see anything manly in that ferocious struggle.
1886 M. F. Sheldon tr. G. Flaubert Salammbô 1 And pits for ferocious animals.
2. Indicating or characterized by ferocity.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > harmfulness > savagery > [adjective] > showing
ferocious1728
the world > action or operation > behaviour > bad behaviour > fierceness > [adjective] > indicating or characterized by fierceness
ferocious1728
1728 A. Pope Dunciad ii. 290 Lo E— rose..shaking..And each ferocious feature grim with ooze.
1826 W. Kirby & W. Spence Introd. Entomol. (1828) IV. xlvii. 418 Their prominent or ferocious eyes.
Derivatives
feˈrociously adv.
ΚΠ
1775 Mrs. Harris in Priv. Lett. Ld. Malmesbury I. 303 He [Dr. Johnson] feeds nastily and ferociously.
1856 E. K. Kane Arctic Explor. I. xxix. 394 They [rats] gnawed her feet and nails so ferociously that we drew her up yelping.
1863 M. E. Braddon Aurora Floyd I. i. 12 They hate me so ferociously!
feˈrociousness n.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > harmfulness > savagery > [noun]
rethenesseOE
grimcundleȝcc1175
fellhead1340
ferteec1380
fiercenessc1384
savagenessa1400
grimliness14..
fellnessc1410
bestialitya1413
fierceheadc1440
cruelness?a1475
inhumanity1477
bremeness?1529
fury1534
tigerness1535
bruteness1538
immanity1539
wolvishness?1548
ferity?c1550
brutishness1567
truculency1569
Phalarism1581
ferocity1606
savagerya1616
brutality1633
inhumanness1649
wolfishness1676
boarishness1682
brutism1687
truculence1727
ferociousness1766
bestialism1824
tigerhood1846
Calibanism1859
unhumanness1885
inhumanism1907
Hunnishness1914
the world > action or operation > behaviour > bad behaviour > fierceness > [noun]
grimcundleȝcc1175
fellhead1340
ferteec1380
fiercetya1382
fiercenessc1384
grimliness14..
fellnessc1410
fierceheadc1440
grillc1450
cruelness?a1475
tigerness1535
wolvishness?1548
ferity?c1550
truculency1569
cursedness1589
ferocity1606
wolfishness1676
boarishness1682
brutishness1683
truculence1727
ferociousness1766
tiger1825
tigerhood1846
Hunnishness1914
1766 J. Fordyce Serm. Young Women II. xii. 263 Roughness, and even ferociousness, in a man, we often overlook.
1818 H. Hallam View Europe Middle Ages I. i. 50 The respect which was felt..mitigated in all the rancour and ferociousness of hostility.
Draft additions 1993
3. As an intensive: very great, extreme; esp. very unpleasant. colloquial (originally U.S.).
ΚΠ
1877 H. James American xii. 207 You and I belong to the same camp. I am a ferocious democrat.
1907 J. Conrad Secret Agent ii. 47 The most alarming display of ferocious imbecility.
1914 G. B. Shaw Dark Lady of Sonnets Pref. in Misalliance 116 The conventional theatrical assumption that female religion means inhumanly ferocious chastity.
1925 F. S. Fitzgerald Great Gatsby vi. 119 He stayed there [at the college] two weeks, dismayed at its ferocious indifference to the drums of his destiny.
1959 S. Raven in H. Thomas Establishment 69 The authorities..had..provided the ferocious accommodation deemed apposite.
1986 Guardian 27 Dec. 7/3 The problem was the ferocious Kremlin central heating.
Draft additions 1993
ferociously adv.
ΚΠ
1869 ‘M. Twain’ Innocents Abroad xxxiv. 375 Men sometimes print a vast edition of a paper, with a ferociously seditious article in it.
1896 Conrad Outcast of Islands i. i. 4 His successes..ended..by making him ferociously conceited.
1988 J. Neel Death's Bright Angel xi. 112 She was both ferociously capable and utterly unwilling..to carry that sort of responsibility again.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1895; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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adj.1646