fierce"ly

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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

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. [1913 Webster]

His fierce thunder drove us to the deep.— Milton.[1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

The fierce foe hung upon our broken rear.— Milton.[1913 Webster]
Thou huntest me as a fierce lion.— Job. x. 16.[1913 Webster]

3.Excessively earnest, eager, or ardent.

Syn: Ferocious; savage; cruel; vehement; impetuous; barbarous; fell. See Ferocious. -- Fierce"ly, adv. -- Fierce"ness, n. [1913 Webster]

WordNet 3.0

fiercely adv 1: in a physically fierce manner; "silence broken by dogs barking ferociously"; "they fought fiercely" [syn: ferociously, fiercely] 2: in an emotionally fierce manner; "she was fiercely proud of her children"
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