ferocity

  • 1Ferocity — Fe*roc i*ty, n. [L. ferocitas, fr. ferox, ocis, fierce, kin to ferus wild: cf. F. ferocit[ e]. See {Fierce}.] Savage wildness or fierceness; fury; cruelty; as, ferocity of countenance. [1913 Webster] The pride and ferocity of a Highland chief.… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2ferocity — index atrocity, bestiality, cruelty, furor, outbreak, severity, violence Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton …

    Law dictionary

  • 3ferocity — c.1600, from Fr. férocité, from L. ferocitatem (nom. ferocitas) fierceness, from ferocis, oblique case of ferox wild, bold, courageous, warlike, fierce, lit. wild looking, a derivative of ferus wild (see FIERCE (Cf. fierce)) + ox, ocem (gen. o …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 4ferocity — [adj] fierceness barbarity, bloodthirstiness, brutality, cruelty, ferociousness, murderousness, savagery, viciousness, violence, wildness; concepts 401,542 …

    New thesaurus

  • 5ferocity — [fə räs′ə tē] n. pl. ferocities [Fr ferocité < L ferocitas] the state or quality of being ferocious …

    English World dictionary

  • 6ferocity — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ great, sheer PREPOSITION ▪ with ferocity ▪ It attacks its prey with great ferocity …

    Collocations dictionary

  • 7ferocity — fe|ro|ci|ty [fəˈrɔsıti US fəˈra: ] n [U] the state of being extremely violent and severe ferocity of ▪ Detectives were shocked by the ferocity of the attack …

    Dictionary of contemporary English

  • 8ferocity — [[t]fərɒ̱sɪti[/t]] N UNCOUNT The ferocity of something is its fierce or violent nature. The armed forces seem to have been taken by surprise by the ferocity of the attack. Syn: violence …

    English dictionary

  • 9ferocity — fe|roc|i|ty [ fə rasəti ] noun uncount violence or extreme force: the ferocity of the attack …

    Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • 10ferocity — UK [fəˈrɒsətɪ] / US [fəˈrɑsətɪ] noun [uncountable] violence or extreme force the ferocity of the attack …

    English dictionary