adj. 1
Exceedingly violent, severe, ferocious, cruel or savage.
A fierce storm battered the coast.
adj. 2
Excellent, very good.
Q: "How was the party last night?" A: "Fierce!"
adj. 3
Resolute or strenuously active.
I feel a fierce loyalty to my kin.
adj. 4
Threatening in appearance or demeanor.
The lion gave a fierce roar.

Related words

Word family: fiercely fierceness fiercity
Phrases: fierce snake

Choose the right word

Fierce, Furious or Ferocious?

Fierce signifies having a furious and cruel nature, or being in a furious and cruel mood, more commonly the latter. Ferocious refers to a state or disposition; that which is fierce flashes or blazes; that which is ferocious steadily burns; we speak of a ferocious animal, a fierce passion.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

savage There are still some savage tribes on that island.
furious Layla was furious that Sami conspired against her.
raging My mean side is silently raging on deep inside me.
ferocious Layla's house was devoured by a ferocious fire.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
fierce		rising
savage		rising
furious		rising
raging		rising
ferocious		rising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters: wild¹, keen¹, gurt
5 letters: great¹, rough¹, cruel², fiery³, rabid², pakka
6 letters: bitter², savage², raging², stormy², ardent²
7 letters: awesome², violent³, intense², furious³, untamed
8 letters: terrific³, ruthless², vehement³
9 letters: exquisite³, turbulent³, ferocious³, merciless³, impetuous³, truculent³, bowelless
10 letters: passionate³, boisterous³, catawampus

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (cruel² = 2 syllables).