1
as in wild
living outdoors without taming or domestication by humans
animal experts discourage homeowners from trying to adopt feral animals as pets
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in brute
having or showing the nature and appetites of a lower animal
a novel that reveals just how thin the veneer of civilization is and how feral we are at bottom
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in animal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example 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 feral
Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2025
More than four years after a 77-year-old man walked into a Florida hospital with pain in his chest, a new report says preparing and eating feral pig meat was the likely cause of the man’s yearslong infection.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 21 Mar. 2025
In America alone, there are currently between 60 and 100 million stray and feral cats, completely left to their fate.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025
South Florida Wildlands Association responded to a comment that the mystery animal could be a feral cat, expressing some of their doubts.
—Kelli Bender, People.com, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for feral
Adjective
But on the latest installation of Rolling Stone Recommends, the musician taps into the more feral feelings that come with playing competitive card games with friends, the idea of being monstrously hungry on Survivor, and recovering from watching David Lynch’s Twin Peaks.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2025
More than four years after a 77-year-old man walked into a Florida hospital with pain in his chest, a new report says preparing and eating feral pig meat was the likely cause of the man’s yearslong infection.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 21 Mar. 2025
In America alone, there are currently between 60 and 100 million stray and feral cats, completely left to their fate.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025
South Florida Wildlands Association responded to a comment that the mystery animal could be a feral cat, expressing some of their doubts.
—Kelli Bender, People.com, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for feral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for feral
Adjective
-
Monday night’s draft commences the 2025 WNBA campaign, which comes on the heels of an all-time wild offseason.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
-
This behavior mimics their wild ancestors, who would ambush prey from above or perch in trees to avoid danger.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Dort will defend quicker guards like Mitchell but lives for the brute matchups.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2025
-
Because the strongest person was going to win in both groups, which just proves the show prioritizes brute strength over any other quality.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Deadly dog mauling Kansas City Police officers responded around 9:30 p.m. Nov. 2, 2024, to the Marlborough East neighborhood for a call about an animal bite incident.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Hantavirus strains in the U.S. are not transmissible from person to person but rather from animals to humans.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
But graduating in 2009 meant stepping into a brutal job market during the Great Recession.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Andrews adds musical interludes, which don’t always work, and brutal jokes, which do.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
From hummingbirds and butterflies to spiders and even lowly beetles, all those wee beasties are part of an intricate web that makes up an ecosystem.—
Paul Cappiello,
The Courier-Journal,
11 Oct. 2024
-
Catch up quick: The legendary little beastie first came to New Orleans by way of the Terrebonne Parish animal shelter.—
Chelsea Brasted,
Axios,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2022
-
As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.—
Tom Yulsman,
Discover Magazine,
27 Dec. 2022
Noun
-
There was no sign of critter activity inside the house, though evidence of their presence was said to have been found in vehicles linked to the couple.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
15 Apr. 2025
-
As of Monday, thousands of the critters — called velella velella or by-the-wind sailors — have been sighted along the California coastline since the start of March, according to iNaturalist, an online platform for sharing biodiversity information.—
Hannah Poukish,
Sacbee.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
In the mountains of Papua New Guinea, researchers encountered a clownish creature perched on a log in a fern meadow, basking in the sun.—
Lauren Liebhaber,
Miami Herald,
22 Apr. 2025
-
There are no Jedis, no secrets about Darth Vader's past for Reddit sleuths to hunt down, no adorable creatures to slap on backpacks and lunchboxes.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
22 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Feral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feral. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share