- having a violent and unrestrained nature; savage: a fierce dog
- wild or turbulent in force, action, or intensity: a fierce storm
- vehement, intense, or strong: fierce competition
- informal very disagreeable or unpleasant
- informal (esp of a woman) strong and self-confident
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
fierce /fɪrs/USA pronunciation
adj., fierc•er, fierc•est.
fierce•ness, n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- wild, savage, or hostile:fierce beasts.
- violent in force, intensity, etc.:a fierce hurricane.
- furiously eager or intense:fierce competition.
- Informal Termsextremely bad or severe:a fierce cold.
fierce•ness, n. [uncountable]
fierce
(fērs),USA pronunciation adj., fierc•er, fierc•est.
fierce′ly, adv.
fierce′ness, n.
- menacingly wild, savage, or hostile:fierce animals; a fierce look.
- violent in force, intensity, etc.:fierce winds.
- furiously eager or intense:fierce competition.
- Informal Termsextremely bad or severe:a fierce cold.
- Latin ferus wild, fierce; compare feral1, ferocious
- Anglo-French fers, Old French fiers (nominative)
- Middle English fiers 1250–1300
fierce′ness, n.
- 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.
- 1. tame, mild.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
fierce /fɪəs/ adj
'fierce' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
battle royal
- Cleese
- cut-throat
- dragon
- fell
- ferocious
- Gorgon
- grim
- hellcat
- Kali
- Kohima
- pitched battle
- ram
- savage
- seal
- Teruel
- tigress
- truculent
- Vansittart
- ardent
- atrocity
- bandersnatch
- barefisted
- bitter
- boiling
- boisterous
- close
- crouse
- farouche
- firework
- flare
- fury
- heated
- loyalty
- lurid
- mackerel shark
- panther
- physiognomy
- rude
- there
- vicious
- white-hot
- wrath
- sharp
- something
- spiteful