fierceness

F4I1E1R1C3E1N1E1S1S1

noun

The state of being fierce.

UncommonScrabble 15

Meanings

nounfierceness (usually uncountable, plural fiercenesses)

plural fiercenesses

  1. uncountableusuallyThe state of being fierce.

    I stroked it gently, on which the mutinous rogue seemed to swell, and gather a new degree of fierceness and insolence; so that finding it grew not to be trifled with any longer, I prepar'd for rubbers in good earnest.

    Fanny Hill

    1749, [John Cleland], “(Please specify the letter or volume)”, in Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure [Fanny Hill], London: […] [Thomas Parker] for G. Fenton [i.e., Fenton and Ralph Griffiths] […], →OCLC
    1 more example

    Travellers over the London & North Western main line in bygone days will need no reminder of the pattering of cinders on the carriage roofs, the fountains of sparks from the chimneys at night and the distance from which the exhaust of approaching locomotives could be heard, due to the fierceness of their blast in such conditions.

    1962 June, Cecil J. Allen, “Locomotive Running Past and Present”, in Modern Railways, page 399

    Synonyms: fiercity

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe state of being fierce.

Similar

More synonyms by meaning

nounthe property of being wild or turbulent

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishfersnesse
  2. Englishfierceness

From Middle English fersnesse; equivalent to fierce + -ness.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French acharnement
  • acharnementstate of being fierce
Hungarian ádázság, vadság
  • ádázságstate of being fierce
  • vadságstate of being fierce
Irish boirbe, fiántas
  • boirbestate of being fierce
  • fiántasstate of being fierce
Italian fierità
  • fieritàstate of being fierce
Latin immānitās
  • immānitāsstate of being fierce
Māori taratutū
  • taratutūstate of being fierce
Spanish fiereza, feridad
  • fierezastate of being fierce
  • feridadstate of being fierce
Swahili ukali
  • ukalistate of being fierce
Cite this entry
APA

fierceness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fierceness

MLA

“fierceness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fierceness. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fierceness,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fierceness.

Source: fierceness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.