critter

noun

crit·​ter ˈkri-tər 

informal

: an animal : creature sense 1

Most of her sublime illustrations involve hippos and pigs, which are appealing critters, especially when they have a few chocolate smudges around the mouth.

—People Weekly

When the wind is blowing just so, the field is set afire on three sides, and all manner of critters get flushed out of one end—snakes, possums, raccoons, and rabbits, lots of rabbits.

—Alexander Wolff

Flies, gnats, mosquitoes, ticks, mites and lice pester your horse year-round. If you ignore them, these critters can cause your equine friend months of misery.

—Charlene Strickland

—sometimes used of a person

Sale admits that humans, being the relatively big-brained critters we are, cannot do without technology …

—M. Kujawa

Synonyms

• animal
• beast
• beastie
• brute
• creature

Examples of critter in a Sentence

The woods are filled with skunks, raccoons, and other critters.

she's so fond of every kind of critter that she ought to be a veterinarian

Recent Examples on the Web

Biologists interviewed about the animal thought the critter may have ventured to Australia in search of food. —Danielle Hall, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Dec. 2024

After decades of hiding, an elusive numerical critter known as the fifth busy beaver finally gave itself up. —Bill Andrews, Quanta Magazine, 19 Dec. 2024

Sure, some critters can be dirty, destructive, or diseased. —Longreads, 18 Dec. 2024

Unfortunately, the answer is likely a lot–due to booming demand for these exotic critters on unregulated pet markets. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

by alteration

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

critter

noun

crit·​ter ˈkrit-ər 

informal

: creature