Hypertext Webster Gateway: "fiercely"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Fierce \Fierce\, a. [Compar. {Fiercer}; superl. {Fiercest}.]
[OE. fers, fiers, OF. fier, nom. fiers, fierce, savage,
cruel, F. fier proud, from L. ferus wild, savage, cruel;
perh. akin to E. bear the animal. Cf. {Feral}, {Ferocity}.]
1. Furious; violent; unrestrained; impetuous; as, a fierce
wind.
His fierce thunder drove us to the deep. --Milton.
2. Vehement in anger or cruelty; ready or eager to kill or
injure; of a nature to inspire terror; ferocious. ``A
fierce whisper.'' --Dickens. ``A fierce tyrant.'' --Pope.
The fierce foe hung upon our broken rear. --Milton.
Thou huntest me as a fierce lion. --Job. x. 16.
3. Excessively earnest, eager, or ardent.
Syn: Ferocious; savage; cruel; vehement; impetuous;
barbarous; fell. See {Ferocious}. -- {Fierce"ly}, adv.
-- {Fierce"ness}, n.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
fiercely
adv 1: in a physically fierce manner; "silence broken by dogs
barking ferociously"; "they fought fiercely" [syn: {ferociously}]
2: in an emotionally fierce manner; "she was fiercely proud of
her children"
Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents;
see the Webster Gateway FAQ,
and also the Back-end/database links and credits.