ANIMAL Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'animal' different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of animal are carnal , fleshly , and sensual . While all these words mean "having a relation to the body," animal stresses the physical as distinguished from the rational nature of a person. // led a mindless animal existence

Q: When can 'carnal' be used instead of 'animal'?

The words carnal and animal are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, carnal may mean only this but more often connotes derogatorily an action or manifestation of a person's lower nature. // a slave to carnal desires

Q: How do 'fleshly' and 'carnal' relate to one another, in the sense of 'animal'?

Fleshly is less derogatory than carnal . // a saint who had experienced fleshly temptations

Q: When is it sensible to use 'sensual' instead of 'animal'?

The words sensual and animal can be used in similar contexts, but sensual may apply to any gratification of a bodily desire or pleasure but commonly implies sexual appetite with absence of the spiritual or intellectual. // fleshpots providing sensual delights

animal 1 of 2

noun

ˈa-nə-məl

Definition of animal next

as in creature

one of the lower animals as distinguished from human beings we saw a lot of animals at the wildlife refuge—cranes, alligators, deer, a fox, even an armadillo

Synonyms & Similar Words

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animal

2 of 2

adjective

as in physical

of or relating to the human body had intellectual as well as animal needs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word animal different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of animal are carnal, fleshly, and sensual. While all these words mean "having a relation to the body," animal stresses the physical as distinguished from the rational nature of a person.

led a mindless animal existence

When can carnal be used instead of animal?

The words carnal and animal are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, carnal may mean only this but more often connotes derogatorily an action or manifestation of a person's lower nature.

a slave to carnal desires

How do fleshly and carnal relate to one another, in the sense of animal?

Fleshly is less derogatory than carnal.

a saint who had experienced fleshly temptations

When is it sensible to use sensual instead of animal?

The words sensual and animal can be used in similar contexts, but sensual may apply to any gratification of a bodily desire or pleasure but commonly implies sexual appetite with absence of the spiritual or intellectual.

fleshpots providing sensual delights

Examples Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of animal

Noun

Snares, set to capture other animals for bushmeat, pose a lethal risk to saolas, who often fall victim to these traps accidentally. Cheap and easy to deploy, snares blanket the forests, endangering not just the saola but a wide range of species. —

Scott Travers, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 The animal had four legs and was 39 inches in length, with a long tail, according to a paper published this fall in the journal Gondwana Research. —

Alexa Robles-Gil, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Nov. 2024

Adjective

Yiannas' notice comes less than a week before Califf is expected to release a response to a scathing report calling for an overhaul of the way the agency regulates human and animal foods. —

Jonel Aleccia, ajc, 25 Jan. 2023 The effects wouldn't be seen just in animal life—wildebeests help to maintain the grassland ecosystem, too. —

Andrew Moseman, Discover Magazine, 15 Sep. 2010 See all Example Sentences for animal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for animal

Noun

The horror-novel-inspiring creatures survive entirely on the blood of their victims.

Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 7 Nov. 2024
The Complicated Story of Hawai‘i’s Pigs (Hakai Magazine) by Brendan Borrell Hawaiians’ relationships with the islands’ pigs have changed dramatically over the 1,000-plus years since Polynesian people first brought the creatures there.

The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 5 Nov. 2024