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Fierce
5 dictionary results for: fierce
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
fierce       [feers] Pronunciation Key
–adjective, fierc·er, fierc·est.
1.menacingly wild, savage, or hostile: fierce animals; a fierce look.
2.violent in force, intensity, etc.: fierce winds.
3.furiously eager or intense: fierce competition.
4.Informal. extremely bad or severe: a fierce cold.
[Origin: 1250–1300; ME fiers < AF fers, OF fiers (nom.) < L ferus wild, fierce; cf. feral1, ferocious]

—Related forms
fiercely, adverb
fierceness, noun

—Synonyms 1. untamed; cruel, fell, brutal; barbarous, bloodthirsty, murderous. Fierce, ferocious, truculent suggest vehemence and violence of temper, manner, or action: fierce in repelling a foe. Ferocious implies fierceness or cruelty, esp. of a bloodthirsty kind, in disposition or action: a ferocious glare; ferocious brutality toward helpless refugees. Truculent suggests an intimidating or bullying fierceness of manner or conduct: His truculent attitude kept them terrified and submissive. 2, 3. furious, passionate, turbulent.
—Antonyms 1. tame, mild.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
fierce       (fîrs)  Pronunciation Key 
adj.   fierc·er, fierc·est
  1. Having a savage and violent nature; ferocious. See Synonyms at cruel.
  2. Extremely severe or violent; terrible: "the fierce thunders roar me their music" (Ezra Pound).
  3. Extremely intense or ardent: fierce loyalty. See Synonyms at intense.
  4. Strenuously active or resolute: a fierce attempt to escape.
  5. Informal Very difficult or unpleasant: a fierce exam.
  6. Savage or threatening in appearance.


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

fierce'ly adv., fierce'ness n.
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
fierce 
1240, from O.Fr. fers, nom. form of fer, fier "wild, ferocious," from L. ferus "wild, untamed," from PIE base *gwer- "wild, wild animal" (cf. Gk. ther, O.C.S. zveri, Lith. zveris "wild beast"). Originally in Eng. also with a sense of "brave, proud," which died out 16c., but caused the word at first to be commonly used as an epithet, which accounts for the rare instance of a Fr. word entering Eng. in the nom. case.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
fierce

adjective
1. marked by extreme and violent energy; "a ferocious beating"; "fierce fighting"; "a furious battle" [syn: ferocious] 
2. marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions; inclined to react violently; fervid; "fierce loyalty"; "in a tearing rage"; "vehement dislike"; "violent passions" 
3. ruthless in competition; "cutthroat competition"; "bowelless readiness to take advantage" [syn: cutthroat] 
4. violently agitated and turbulent; "boisterous winds and waves"; "the fierce thunders roar me their music"- Ezra Pound; "rough weather"; "rough seas" [syn: boisterous] 

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Fierce

Fe"ral\, a. [L. ferus. See Fierce.] (Bot. & Zo["o]l.) Wild; untamed; ferine; not domesticated; -- said of beasts, birds, and plants.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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