Fierce
/fɪərs/noun
Violently aggressive, intense, or very strong.
Did you know?Its deepest ancestor is often linked to the same prehistoric root behind Latin *ferus* (“wild, untamed”), which also gave us a whole family of words about raw, uncivilized force.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰerH-
“To heat, boil, or be fierce/violent (reconstructed root often connected with intensity and wild force).”
Latin
Latin
ferus
“Wild, untamed, savage.”
Old French
Old French
fier
“Proud, haughty, fierce.”
Middle English
English
fierce
“Savage, cruel, violent; later also bold or intense.”
Modern English
English
fierce
“Violently aggressive, intense, or very strong.”