The quality or state of being fierce; extreme intensity, wildness, ferocity, or aggressive strength.
From 'fierce' (Old French 'fiers') with the noun-forming suffix -ness (Old English 'nes,' originally meaning 'state' or 'condition'). The -ness suffix has been productive for over 1,000 years.
The -ness suffix is one of English's most powerful tools—you can attach it to almost any adjective to create a noun: kindness, sadness, brightness, absurdity. Some words have multiple -ness forms describing the same concept differently.
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