▪ I. † fierce, n. Her. Obs.
(See quot.)
| 1634 Peacham Gentl. Exerc. iii. 144 This [the Pale] in ancient time was called a fierce, and you should then have blazed it thus, hee beares a fierce Sables, between two fierces, or. |
▪ II. fierce, a. (
fɪəs)
Forms: 3–6
fers(e, (4
firs), 4–6
fiers(e,
fyers(e, 6
fearce,
-se, (5
feres,
-ys,
fuerse,
furse, 5–6
feers(e, 6
fayrse,
ferse), 3–
fierce. See also
feer a.
[a. OF. fers, fiers in same senses, nom. form of fer, fier (mod.F. fier proud) = Prov. fer, It. and Sp. fiero:—L. ferus wild (of an animal), untamed, fierce.] 1. Of formidably violent and intractable temper, like a wild beast; vehement and merciless in anger or hostility.
Less emphatic, and less associated with the notion of wanton cruelty, than
ferocious, which was never used, like this word, in a good sense (see 2).
a. of persons, their dispositions or attributes.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 2197 Nembrot..was fers, prud, and fell. c 1374 Chaucer Anel. & Arc. 1 Yow fiers god of armes Mars the rede. 1485 Caxton Chas. Gt. 26 Hys syght and regarde fyers & malycyous. 1570 B. Googe Pop. Kingd. 10 With countenaunce ferce and grim. 1607 Shakes. Cor. i. iv. 57 A Souldier..not fierce and terrible Onely in strokes. 1667 Milton P.L. ii. 44 Moloc..the fiercest Spirit That fought in Heav'n; now fiercer by despair. 1712–4 Pope Rape Lock iv. 7 Tyrants fierce that unrepenting die. 1794 Mrs. Radcliffe Myst. Udolpho xxviii, Montoni turned upon him with a fierce and haughty look. 1812 J. Wilson Isle of Palms ii. 578 Fierce savage men Glare on them. 1852 C. M. Yonge Cameos I. xxxii. 277 Hugh Lupus, the fierce old Earl of Chester, was likewise a Lord Marcher. |
| absol. 1820 Keats Hyperion ii. 251 Thus wording timidly among the fierce. |
b. of animals.
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xv. 300 God sent hem fode bi foules and by no fierse bestes. a 1400–50 Alexander 3922 A beste..Fere fersere þan an olifaunt. 1583 Golding Calvin on Deut. xlvii. 281 Swine..bee not so fearce as to fall to rending downe of the tree. 1611 Bible Job x. 16 Thou huntest me as a fierce Lion. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iv. 741 Fierce Tigers couch'd around. 1781 Cowper Retirement 254 Poetry disarms The fiercest animals with magic charms. 1874 C. Geikie Life in Woods v. 84 It is amazing how fierce some of the small snakes are. |
| absol. c 1400 Destr. Troy 888 So þe fuerse by-flamede all with fyre hote. |
c. Of things: forceful; acting strongly or violently.
| 1912 Motor Manual 166 Complaints are occasionally made of what is called a ‘fierce’ clutch. In other words, the clutch will not slide or slip in, but permits the engine to take hold suddenly, and almost takes the starting control from the driver's hands. 1961 Listener 7 Dec. 1007/1 If your oven is inclined to be ‘fierce’, you may find it best to tie a band of folded brown paper round the outside of the tin. 1971 ‘D. Halliday’ Dolly & Doctor Bird viii. 113 The brake was fiercer than I expected, but the thing was stable enough. |
† 2. High-spirited, brave, valiant.
Obs.| 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 3910 Al so þe dosse pers Of france were þer echon þat so noble were & fers. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 101 Be þay fers, be þay feble for-lotez none. 1475 Bk. Noblesse 2 Next after came the feers manly Danysh nacion. 1485 Caxton Chas. Gt. 74 Oliuer was so fyers of fayt. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon lv. 185 Our man is fyers and of gret hardynes. ― Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) F viij, A lusty horse fyerse and flingyng. |
† 3. Proud, haughty.
Obs. Cf. F.
fier.
| c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 272/34 With grete nobleye; swyþe fierce and proute. c 1430 Pilgr. Lyf Manhode i. xlix. (1869) 30 But of yow j haue no neede; haue your herte neuere þe more feers. c 1430 A B C of Aristotle in Babees Bk. (1868) 11 [Not] to fers, ne to famuler, but freendli of cheere. 1593 Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, iv. ix. 45 He is fierce and cannot brooke hard Language. |
4. Of natural forces,
e.g. fire, wind, etc.; also of passion, disease, conflict, persecution, etc.: Angry, violent, vehemently raging.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 23239 (Gött.) Þa dintes er ful fers and fell. c 1340 Ibid. 1854 (Trin.) Aboute fyue moneþes hit stode Wiþouten falling þat fers flode. c 1350 Will. Palerne 436 Saue a fers feintise folwes me oft. c 1400 Destr. Troy 569 Flamys of fyre han so furse hete. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 4579 Persecucioun fers and fell. 1490 Caxton Eneydos lxii. 162 The bataylle was fyerse. 1508 Fisher Wks. (1876) 279 The assautes of deth was fyers and sharpe. 1508 in Arnolde's Chron. (1811) p. xliii, The Duke of Burgon..was dryuen in to Englond with a ferse streynable wynde. 1611 Bible Jer. xxv. 37 The fierce anger of the Lord. 1697 Dryden Virg. Past. ii. 14 The..Locusts..fry'd with Heat, and I with fierce Desire. 1708 Pope Ode St. Cecilia 118 Music the fiercest grief can charm. 1799 G. Smith Laboratory I. 9 If the rocket burst as soon as it is lighted the charge is too fierce. 1848 Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 173 A mind heated by a fierce conflict. 1863 Bryant Poems, Little People of Snow 289 Cruel we, Who suffered her to wander forth alone In this fierce cold! 1874 Deutsch Rem. 419 Two centuries and a half of fierce discussion. |
5. a. Ardent, eager; full of violent desire; furiously zealous or active.
† Const.
for,
to,
upon, and
to with
inf.| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. v. 67 To affaiten hire flesshe þat fierce was to synne. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 7260 For to gyue she was full fers. 1513 Douglas æneis x. vii. 102 He on cace was fleand fers as flynt. 1601 B. Jonson Poetaster (1602) v. iii, And, Lupus, for your fierce Credulity, One fit him with a paire of larger Eares. 1647 Clarendon Hist. Reb. iv. (1702) I. 239 One of the Fiercest men of the Party. 1654 Sir E. Nicholas in N. Papers (Camden) II. 149 He is..fierce for the Duke of Gloucesters returne. 1702 Eng. Theophrast. 314 It is not good to be over fierce upon anything. a 1744 Pope Odyssey viii, Vengeful slaughter, fierce for human blood. 1871 Browning Balaust. 1821 The feast was fierce But brief. 1874 Morley Compromise (1886) 115 The..fiercest hunt after the grosser prizes. |
b. dial. Brisk, lively, vigorous.
| 1877 N.W. Linc. Gloss., ‘If thoo's so fierce ower thee work i' th' mornin' thoo'll be dauled oot afore neet.’ 1881 Leicestersh. Gloss., ‘Ah'm glad to see ye luke so feece todee.’ 1886 S.W. Linc. Gloss., ‘Oh, they were fierce; they were as merry as crickets.’ |
† 6. Of a number: Great, immense.
Obs.| c 1400 Destr. Troy 1617 Fuerse was þe nowmber Of lordes of þe lond. Ibid. 2271 So fele fightyng folke be a fuerse nowmber. |
7. quasi-adv. = Fiercely.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 1765 (Cott.) Þe rain it fell sua fers and fast. 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, i. i. 14 Mid-day Sunne, fierce bent against their faces. 1771 Goldsm. Hist. Eng. IV. 164 The war..continued to rage as fierce as ever. 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. IV. 102 The war, which was now all but extinguished, might blaze forth fiercer than ever. |
8. attrib. and
Comb.:
a. parasynthetic, as
fierce-eyed,
fierce-faced,
fierce-fanged,
fierce-minded,
fierce-natured.
b. adverbial, as
fierce-descending,
fierce-flaming,
fierce-looking,
fierce-menacing,
fierce-rushing,
fierce-trotted.
| 1735 Thomson Liberty v. 45 By..No *fierce-descending wolf..Disturb'd. |
| 1873 Symonds Grk. Poets vii. 227 They will slay me, those..*Fierce-eyed..dread goddesses. 1876 Geo. Eliot Dan. Der. IV. liv. 110 A fierce-eyed temptation. |
| 1892 Pall Mall G. 21 Jan. 3/1 These..*fierce-faced beasts, with their noiseless footfall. |
| 1851 H. Melville Whale xlii. 209 The *fierce-fanged tiger in his heraldic coat. |
| 1740 C. Pitt æneid xii. 1337 His Eyes, *fierce-flaming, o'er the Trophy roll. |
| a 1859 Macaulay Hist. Eng. V. 23 Accosted by *fierce-looking captains. |
| 1735 Somerville Chase iii. 302 Another pard..Grins..*fierce-menacing. |
| 1785 Cruttwell Bible, 3 Macc. vi. 18 Forgetfulness seized his *fierce-minded confidence. |
| 1625–8 Camden's Hist. Eliz. ii. (1688) 246 This Parsons was..a violent *fierce-natured man. |
| 1725 Pope Odyss. xxiii. 75 A Boar *fierce-rushing in the sylvan war. |
Hence
† ˈfiercehead. [+
-head]
= Fierceness.
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 156/2 Fercehede, ferocitas, severitas. |
▪ III. † fierce, v. Obs. [f. prec. adj.] trans. To make fierce; to inflame.
| 1565 Golding Ovid's Met. iii. (1593) 63 And for to fierce hir ire, Another thing..there commeth in the nicke. |