feral

adjective

fe·​ral ˈfir-əl How to pronounce feral (audio)
ˈfer-;
ˈfe-rəl How to pronounce feral (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or suggestive of a wild beast
feral teeth
feral instincts
2
a
: not domesticated or cultivated : wild
feral animals
b
: having escaped from domestication and become wild
feral cats
feral noun
Choose the Right Synonym for feral

brutal, brutish, bestial, feral mean characteristic of an animal in nature, action, or instinct.

brutal applies to people, their acts, or their words and suggests a lack of intelligence, feeling, or humanity.

a senseless and brutal war

brutish stresses likeness to an animal in low intelligence, in base appetites, and in behavior based on instinct.

brutish stupidity

bestial suggests a state of degradation unworthy of humans and fit only for beasts.

bestial depravity

feral suggests the savagery or ferocity of wild animals.

the struggle to survive unleashed their feral impulses

Examples of feral in a Sentence

They led a feral existence. animal experts discourage homeowners from trying to adopt feral animals as pets
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Advertisement Dawn of the Dead (1978) There's a credible case to be made that Romero's 1973 movie The Crazies, about a biological weapon that causes residents of a small town to go feral, qualifies as a zombie movie. James Grebey, Time, 20 June 2025 There are tribes of fast, feral predators that resemble the second coming of neanderthals. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 June 2025 Screenshots from a May 4 TikTok video of a feral cat finally trusting the woman who fed him for five years during his last day. Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025 There is no dispute between the parties over trapping, spaying or neutering and then releasing feral cats, which are unsocialized. Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for feral

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin feralis, from Latin fera wild animal, from feminine of ferus wild — more at fierce

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of feral was in 1604

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Feral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feral. Accessed 24 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

feral

adjective
fe·​ral ˈfir-əl How to pronounce feral (audio) ˈfer- How to pronounce feral (audio)
: having escaped from domestication and become wild
feral cats

More from Merriam-Webster on feral

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