ferocity

American  

[fuh-ros-i-tee] / fəˈrɒs ɪ ti /

noun

1. a ferocious quality or state; savage fierceness.

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Other Word Forms

• nonferocity noun

Etymology

Origin of ferocity

1600–10; < Latin ferōcitās, equivalent to ferōc-, stem of ferōx ferocious + -itās -ity

Example Sentences

Ursula has shades of Gellar’s famous characters — Buffy’s physical ferocity, Kathryn Merteuil’s ruthless cattiness, Daphne Blake’s affinity for mysterious games — but doesn’t play to one exclusively.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026

"Within 24 hours, my relationship to its wild, abrasive, exuberant, heart-filled yet harsh ferocity was sealed," she recalls.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

For some of us who grew up in the ’70s and early ’80s, “The Great Santini” was the first time Duvall’s ferocity hit you where you lived.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026

Residents across the south of France were shocked at the storm's ferocity.

From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026

He addressed him with the proper degree of ferocity, telling him that he was a scoundrelly opportunist, a sybaritic barbarian, a disgrace to his upbringing and his ancestors, “AND”—and he paused in weighty emphasis—“a very...bad...dog!”

From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford