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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in animal
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of feral
Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 5 Feb. 2025
Scrim was squeezed into a trap that had been set for feral cats.
—Rick Rojas, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2025
More than 80 domestic cats, among many other types of mammals, have been confirmed to have had bird flu since 2022 -- generally barn cats that lived on dairy farms, as well as feral cats and pets that spend time outdoors and likely caught it by hunting diseased rodents or wild birds.
—Sarah Boden, ABC News, 10 Feb. 2025
His Orlok is more feral and red-blooded than previous iterations, appearing swathed in ursine furs and accompanied by mangy curs.
—Celia Mattison, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for feral
Adjective
However, some countries including Italy, Austria, and Japan have laws on the books that protect cats, particularly feral cat colonies.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 5 Feb. 2025
Scrim was squeezed into a trap that had been set for feral cats.
—Rick Rojas, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2025
More than 80 domestic cats, among many other types of mammals, have been confirmed to have had bird flu since 2022 -- generally barn cats that lived on dairy farms, as well as feral cats and pets that spend time outdoors and likely caught it by hunting diseased rodents or wild birds.
—Sarah Boden, ABC News, 10 Feb. 2025
His Orlok is more feral and red-blooded than previous iterations, appearing swathed in ursine furs and accompanied by mangy curs.
—Celia Mattison, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for feral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for feral
Adjective
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This strain of bird flu has gotten good at infecting new species, including wild birds that migrate and over 40 species of mammals, Kate Wells of NPR's network station Michigan Public and KFF Health News says.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
26 Feb. 2025
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Along the trail, look for plants and animals that aren’t easy to find anywhere else on the island, including wild orchids and the rare native barn owl.—
Curaçao Tourist Board,
AFAR Media,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This is her answer, in part: In terms of brute force and repression, the grip of the dictatorship in Cuba is as tight as ever.—
Jay Nordlinger,
National Review,
24 Feb. 2025
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The United States should never seek to match China’s brute force approach to economic power.—
Steve Bowsher,
Foreign Affairs,
24 Feb. 2025
Noun
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This style of outerwear, worn over a man’s pants, consists of animal hides that still have the creature’s hair or fur attached, all the better to repel snow and rain.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
1 Mar. 2025
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At Tree by Naked Yoyogi Park, a multi-sensory dining experience in Tokyo designed by Japanese visual artist Ryotaro Muramatsu, guests put on VR headsets for part of the meal, transporting themselves into a comical world where animals eat and dress like humans.—
Kristin Tablang,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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England’s Champions Trophy campaign finally came to a brutal end when they were beaten by South Africa in Karachi by seven wickets with almost 21 overs to spare.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
-
The free chow was served daily, except on Fridays, and continued through a brutal period of industrywide cost-cutting that persists to this day.—
Katcy Stephan,
Variety,
1 Mar. 2025
Noun
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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
-
But regardless of whether the beastie predicts six more weeks of winter or holds out the promise of an early Spring, next week should bring a respite of warmer weather.—
Todd Karpovich,
Baltimore Sun,
1 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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Don’t go to bed early; some night dives have a twist with UV dive lights and mask filters that give some critters and corals a fluorescent flow.—
Curaçao Tourist Board,
AFAR Media,
26 Feb. 2025
-
This can be an unpleasant odor for humans to encounter, but the critters in the video seem enthusiastic about interacting with the eau de skunk.—
Amanda Kooser,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Beyond the obvious significance of subverting traditional power dynamics and placing the mic in her fans’ hands, the most unbelievable part of the evening was Gaga dancing among us to her album, totally blending in with her fellow black-clad, sunglass-wearing nightlife creatures.—
James Factora,
Them,
6 Mar. 2025
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As for pushing the creature out of her home, that's when Fonda got hands on.—
Russel Honoré,
Newsweek,
6 Mar. 2025
Articles Related to feral
Cite this Entry
“Feral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feral. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.
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