English

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Etymology

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From Middle English fersly; equivalent to fierce +‎ -ly.

Pronunciation

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Adverb

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fiercely (comparative fiercelier or more fiercely, superlative fierceliest or most fiercely)

  1. In a fierce manner.
    The wind blew fiercely and the rain fell heavily.
    • 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., [], →OCLC:
      They burned the old gun that used to stand in the dark corner up in the garret, close to the stuffed fox that always grinned so fiercely. Perhaps the reason why he seemed in such a ghastly rage was that he did not come by his death fairly. And why else was he put away up there out of sight?—and so magnificent a brush as he had too.
    • 1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World [], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:
      He helped himself to a cigar and leaned back with a fiercely critical pair of eyes, taking note of the effect which this document would produce.
  2. extremely; to a large degree
    fiercely competitive
    a fiercely loved woman
    a fiercely proud father
    fiercely disappointed
    fiercely loyal
    fiercely independent
    • 2021 May 29, Phil McNulty, “Manchester City 0-1 Chelsea”, in BBC Sport[1]:
      Tuchel made it three out of three against Guardiola by producing a fiercely disciplined, positive Chelsea performance that has brought a season that was shrouded in uncertainty to the most glorious conclusion.

Translations

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