Definition of: fierce

(firs) adjective
1. Having a violent and cruel nature or temper; savage; ferocious.
2. Violent in action; furious.
3. Vehement; passionate; extreme.
4. Slang Very bad; atrocious. [<OF fers, fiers, nominative sing. of fier proud <L ferus wild]
—fierce′ly adverb
—fierce′·ness noun Synonyms: ferocious, fiery, furious, impetuous, raging, savage, uncultivated, untrained, violent, wild. Fierce signifies having a furious and cruel nature, or being in a furious and cruel mood. It applies to that which is intensely excited at the moment, or liable to intense and sudden excitement. 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. A fiery spirit with a good disposition is quickly excitable in a good cause, but may not be fierce or ferocious. Savage signifies untrained, uncultivated. Ferocious always denotes a tendency to violence; it is more distinctly bloodthirsty than the other words; a person may be deeply, intensely cruel, and not at all ferocious: a ferocious countenance expresses habitual ferocity; a fierce countenance may express habitual fierceness, or only the sudden anger of the moment. That which is wild is simply unrestrained; the word may imply no anger or harshness; as wild delight, wild alarm. See ARDENT, GRIM. Antonyms: affectionate, docile, gentle, harmless, kind, mild, patient, peaceful, submissive, tame, tender.