ferocious
ferocious — 形容詞
1. A ferocious animal, person, or action is extremely aggressive, violent, and frig
兇猛
兇猛而暴力的；極度強烈的
A ferocious animal, person, or action is extremely aggressive, violent, and frightening. The word can also describe things that are not physically violent but very intense, such as ferocious criticism or a ferocious storm.
The hikers fled when a ferocious bear charged out of the bushes.
這群健行者看到一頭兇猛的熊從灌木叢衝出來，趕緊逃跑。
collocation: ferocious bear / ferocious attack
Ferocious criticism of the new policy appeared in every major newspaper.
對新政策的猛烈批評出現在每一家主要報紙上。
applies to non-physical things: ferocious criticism
A ferocious storm tore through the coastal town, leaving behind great damage.
一場猛烈的風暴襲擊了這個沿海小鎮，造成了巨大的破壞。
Dewi trained with ferocious energy every day before the race.
Dewi 在比賽前每天都以驚人的精力訓練。
The debate between the two candidates grew increasingly ferocious.
兩位候選人之間的辯論變得越來越激烈。
- fierce
The closest general synonym, but milder than ferocious; fierce can describe strong emotion or effort without the sense of wild, dangerous aggression.
- savage
Emphasises primitive, cruel, and untamed behaviour, often implying a desire to cause severe injury; stronger and more disturbing than ferocious.
- brutal
Focuses on the deliberate infliction of pain or hardship without mercy; can apply to both physical violence and harsh conditions (a brutal winter).
- vicious
Implies a spiteful or cruel intention to hurt; often used for attacks or remarks meant to cause emotional harm.
- gentle
The opposite of ferocious in both physical aggression and intensity; a gentle person is kind and calm.
- mild
Describes something that is not strong or intense, such as mild criticism or mild weather — the direct opposite of ferocious in the intensity sense.
- tame
Describes an animal that is not wild or dangerous; the opposite of ferocious in the animal-behaviour sense.
文法句型
ferocious + noun (a ferocious animal / ferocious criticism)
be + ferocious (the storm was ferocious)
adverb + ferocious (absolutely ferocious / increasingly ferocious)
用法筆記
Often used for things that are not literally violent but are extremely strong in effect, such as debates, criticism, competition, or weather. The physical-violence sense is the original meaning, but the intensity sense is common in news and sports writing.