These words describe actions, appearances or living things that display brutality, violence or lack of restraint.

Wild is sometimes used loosely as a substitute for the other words in this group: a wild tiger; wild eyes; a wild rage; the wild man of Borneo. Strictly speaking, that which is wild is simply unrestrained and often implies no anger or harshness: wild delight; wild terror; the wild south wind. The sense of lack of restraint is borne out in the use of this word to describe creatures living free or plants, etc., that are uncultivated: wild ducks; wild strawberries; growing wild .

Feral , from its original application to an undomesticated or untamed animal, carries the suggestion when applied to people of the behaviour of a beast of prey: the feral attack of a thug in a dark lane; the feral appetites of those who enjoy watching street flights.

Fierce , in this sense, is applied mostly to people or animals who are frightening to others because of a forbidding aspect or the violence of their actions.

• An angry gorilla has a fierce roar; My grandfather became fierce when he lost his temper; To be a good watchdag, a dog must be fierce towards strangers.

Ferocious always denotes a tendency to violence or viciousness. It is more distinctly bloodthirsty than is fierce: the ferocious shark; a ferocious dingo pack. Whereas fierce suggests vehemence and lack of control, ferocious implies an animalistic wildness that is extremely menacing: a fierce dog; a ferocious man-eating tiger. Fierce may also describe actions: a fierce battle in which both sides suffered heavy losses.

Savage emphasizes lack of training and a lack of those restraints practised by civilized people in controlling their aggressive impulses towards others: to make a savage attack against a political opponent; to be savage in one’s revenge.

Ferocious , fierce and savage are all used in an exaggerated and sometimes playful sense to describe things that cause discomfort or excite anxiety: the ferocious heat of a January day; a fierce final examination; the savage crowding in a city slum.