as in brute
having or showing the nature and appetites of a lower animal
years of grinding poverty that had reduced them to a subhuman existence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 subhuman
By modern standards, the story features a horrific representation of Neanderthals; Wells imagined them as subhuman creatures hellbent on hunting humans that were migrating into their territory.
—
Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 21 Dec. 2023
The subhuman invaders, as Raspail describes them, wallow in their own feces and delight in trampling over the misguided liberals who thought to welcome and feed them.
—Katherine Stewart, The New Republic, 10 Aug. 2023
Many Black migrants are pushed to the fringes of border cities to wait in subhuman conditions.
—Arelis R. Hernández, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2023
At the same time, a loop seemed to start playing in my mind, with hundreds of voices from my past telling me that transgender people were subhuman.
—Lara Americo, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2020
See All Example Sentences for subhuman
Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 21 Dec. 2023
The subhuman invaders, as Raspail describes them, wallow in their own feces and delight in trampling over the misguided liberals who thought to welcome and feed them.
—Katherine Stewart, The New Republic, 10 Aug. 2023
Many Black migrants are pushed to the fringes of border cities to wait in subhuman conditions.
—Arelis R. Hernández, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2023
At the same time, a loop seemed to start playing in my mind, with hundreds of voices from my past telling me that transgender people were subhuman.
—Lara Americo, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2020
See All Example Sentences for subhuman
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subhuman
Adjective
-
Breaking free from this web requires not just brute force but precise, intelligent tools.—
Prajwalkumar Bhatkar,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
-
Stam, now 52, was indeed characterized by brute force throughout his career.—
Bennett Durando,
The Denver Post,
16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The occasional injury is unavoidable in a tournament where the intensity is this high, but that doesn’t make the outcome any less brutal for Theodore and the Golden Knights. 4.—
Sean McIndoe,
The Athletic,
17 Feb. 2025
-
While mourning the loss of their child, Marcus discovers that Ammara’s younger brother Chet, a promising Muay Thai boxer, owes money to a local crime boss — forcing him to participate in a series of brutal underground fights orchestrated by charismatic Nigerian gangster Tiga (Hounsou).—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
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
Adjective
-
Eggers certainly loves the guy, and Skarsgård’s ultra-committed performance allows the film to enjoy a contagious pleasure in returning the vampire archetype to its more bestial origins.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
2 Dec. 2024
-
The rape/bestial fetish is framed as a fantasy imagined by a woman, curiously beginning as an assault.—
Nicholas Bell,
SPIN,
31 July 2024
Cite this Entry
“Subhuman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subhuman. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share